Opinion

Nostalgia has not been a topline pursuit of my so-called adulthood. Save the occasional high school reunion, I’ve generally shied away from looking backward. “Nostalgia is a killer” has been my credo for a good long time. On one hand, I get it: it didn’t hurt to get out of bed in 1981. I was constantly surrounded by oodles of friends. There were fun things to do every night of the week. I could stay up until 3 a.m. then pop right at 8 and go to work. I didn’t worry about my creaky body, or much of anything for that matter. But was it better? No. I’ll take today over yesterday.

“Word arrived over the holidays that the price tag for the special election foisted upon Claremont Unified School District last July by a small group of shortsighted residents — 102 to be exact — was actually much higher than the pre-election estimate of $273,000. The final tally? A whopping $490,387. Yes, you read that right: nearly half a million dollars poured down the drain. A half-million dollars buys a lot of iPads. That’s a few teachers’ yearly salaries, a load of textbooks, and plenty of student extracurriculars. What a waste.”

Lately I’ve endeavored to produce a gratitude. My hope is writing it all down will serve as a kind of psychic reset, that recalling my blessings will propel me into the new year with gratitude despite much suffering here and elsewhere. So, in the optimistic spirit of the holidays, here is this year’s (partial) list.
I’m profoundly grateful for my family, my children, my wife, my relations, and friends. I include friends because as I careen into my golden years, I’ve found they’ve become as important as those to which I’m bound by blood. I’m lucky to have the best person in the world as my wife (fight me!). Over the past 10-plus years she’s walked with me through trauma, loss, depression, and somehow stuck around and dealt with a less than ideal version of me while I navigated my way through the morass. Things are different now. They’re better. I’ve learned to live with uncertainty and accept that there are things I can and cannot control. Now it seems she has entered her own season of loss and uncertainty, and it’s time for me to walk with her. I’m thankful to have had the best teacher, and grateful for the opportunity to reciprocate.

The Courier has a lot to be thankful for and 2023 proved that time and again. It also gave us building blocks on which to reflect so that we continue to evolve and better serve our readers and donors in 2024. The Courier had a healthy increase in nonprofit revenue in 2023, primarily due to sales of our new coffee table book of photography, “Timeless Claremont.” Based on the feedback we received after delivering the first copies of “Timeless Claremont,” the Courier hit a home run. The enthusiasm and heartfelt comments have been phenomenal. The book will also be used to help market other Courier products in 2024. Stay tuned!

The new year is almost here. Soon you’ll be inundated with emails and advertisements urging you to move up in the world: pursue a bigger paycheck, elevate your health, manifest your dreams.

“Part of my meandering, yearslong mental health journey has included accepting that I am right where I am supposed to be. I am striving to be “present.” I’ve gotten a little better at this, but still have a ways to go. So this year I’m going to enjoy what we have, which is perfect. We’ve been pulled apart by forces internal and external, separated by geography and divorce. Our numbers are small, to be sure, and that’s okay. No matter what Christmas holds, it’s exactly what’s supposed to happen.”

According to a 2021 study by the University of Birmingham, England, “Mature oak trees will increase their rate of photosynthesis by up to a third in response to the raised CO2 levels expected in 2050.”

“I am always heartened to see kids protesting on college campuses. To my mind, it’s invaluable to discover one’s political passions during these pivotal years. I’m glad they’re making noise. That’s what youth is for. But part of that choice to protest involves exposing themselves to scrutiny from those who disagree. It’s a built-in component of that exchange. It’s inconvenient to be sure, but it’s the price one pays.”

Our subscription rates — $78 per year ($73 for seniors) — remain low. The average yearly rate for weekly U.S. newspapers and/or websites is $146. This is the average, mind you, not the highest. Also, the Courier hasn’t raised its advertising rates in 10 years, even though we now reach far more people than we did in 2013. And let’s not forget access to our comprehensive website, which we continue to offer without a paywall. So, as you might have guessed, we are going to be raising our prices. But even with these modest increases, the Courier’s rates will remain highly competitive. That’s what a decade of holding steady on ad rates will do for you. We haven’t yet determined the new rates, but they will go into effect January 1, 2024.

“Timeless Claremont” is the title of the newly released Claremont Courier coffee table book. Culled from its extensive archives, the 170-page book chronicles the history of Claremont through the Courier’s award winning photojournalism over the past 50-plus years.

As we welcome winter’s solstice and the darkest days, new beginnings arrive in anticipation of the coming longer, brighter days.

“Many of us have heard it from well-meaning friends or loved ones: ‘Choose happiness.’ I’ve often bristled at this platitude. Why? Because some suffering is such that ‘choosing’ to be happy is not an option. Hearing someone blithely contend it’s a choice feels almost like an accusation, as if it’s a defect one is too lazy to address. But for me and I suspect many others, this isn’t always possible. And that’s okay, because it’s okay to be sad.”

No one wants to talk about cardiovascular disease around the holidays, but what better time to bring up the conversation than when you are with the people you love the most?