2025 Year in Review

A year is both a long time and a short time. Here’s a quick recap of things that happened in 2025.

Politics

The world fell apart and continues to disintegrate. That’s all I want to say about that.

My Kids

My oldest entered high school, which is quite a milestone. They are all-in on being a creative person, which I am very proud of. The enrolled in a weekend art program through RISD and that has challenged them in good ways.

My youngest isn’t that young anymore and turned 10. She sings and dances almost constantly, when she is not playing Roblox or Minecraft on her iPad. In some ways she lives in her sibling’s shadow, and in other ways, she is starting to find where she is authentically different.

With travel baseball, we went to Long Island and Baltimore this year.

Career

My career is mostly the same. There has been some movement at Oomph where my manager has shifted, but my responsibilities are the same. I have been finding ways to use A.I. to accelerate my work, but it has been small and intentional. I feel like it would be easy to fall into a reliance trap where my creativity atrophies.

The company had an all-hands retreat in May for a few days in Boston. We got to hang together and did some Lego while talking about our strengths, reflecting on our processes, and practicing our public speaking. We also went on a Duck Tour in Boston, which was my first ever.

A.I. is everywhere. It is second-only to the onslaught of insanity coming out of the presidency. Is A.I. in a bubble? Is it undervalued? Will it take all jobs? Can it correctly do any job? I’m pretty sick of thinking about it.

My wife has a career again, after many years staying home for the kids and then battling breast cancer. She works at a pre-school, which seems like a great gig. Little kids love her and she has been so great with ours, it makes sense for her to continue that. The smiles, the lap-sitting, and the love balances out the occasional mis-directed behavior or bathroom misses.

She also performed more this year than in a long time. Her brother authored a new play for the two of them, and they have toured it around to Connecticut, New York City, Boston, and Providence.

Health

I have a doctor again, after a three year hiatus. Time to take care of myself again.

Personal

I turned 50 this year and it felt more like something that other birthdays, but still not much. I didn’t do anything momentous or have a party. I let it be a day, but I didn’t ignore it either.

Things I want to do more of:

• Reflecting and taking space
• Receiving massages
• Hanging out with people without an agenda
• Bumping into old friends and acquaintances
• Attending art and music shows
• Learn the piano
• Protesting and protecting

Things I want to do less often:

• Worrying
• Hiding and ignoring
• Procrastinating

Vacations

No big trip this past year. Last year was London for my brother-in-law’s wedding, and that was a blast with the kids. This year was quieter. We went to ECC for camp and did small day trips for the beach. Next/this year, there will be a little more in store.

Conclusion

When you put it all together, it doesn’t seem like much. But actually, looking back, there was a lot hidden in between the lines here. Its all progress towards a live lived well, and I hope to keep making that progress.