2025 into 2026
Considering my values... and a year end list.
January, a time for new beginnings. Though my therapist suggests there may be better times of the year to start something new, this is the cadence the Gregorian calendar has me tuned to. Even if I wanted to change, I wouldn’t know which calendar to choose.
Last January, for some reason, I decided I was going to start grinding limited Magic. I had room to improve but surely it couldn’t be that hard. I could apply myself, practice every day and slowly ascend the limited ladder on Arena. If I was good enough maybe I could even start streaming and get my hobby to a point where it was paying for itself… Turns out that was a lie. I feel like a better player than I was a year ago but, my dreams of ascending the ladder and standing out as one of the good ones did not bear fruit. Instead, I feel less interested in playing Magic than ever.
It felt important to me once, bigger than the sum of its parts. All of my closest friends were in some way connected to that hobby I started investing myself into back in 2017. But now in a new city, without anyone to shuffle up and play with, I’m just not sure. With every passing day the game just feels more and more like a carefully designed ploy to take my money. A series of advertisements turned in on itself to produce more advertisements. Marshall McLuhan would be appalled.
So, this year I guess I’ve decided to replace limited grinding with writing? Blogging? I’m not sure what to call it but I have gone without a proper creative outlet for over a decade now, and my experience tells me there’s no better time to start than the present. For my inaugural post I present to you… a year-end list. Not the most original idea but we’re just starting to spin things up here so please be patient.
After last year’s The Chisel tour cancellation bullshit I’ve had to think long and hard about how interested I am in the punk or hardcore scene anymore. Like Magic, it used to feel like such an essential part of my life. It was the source of all of my friendship and connection. I guess, looking back I would say 2025 was the year I finally put to words that just because I share common interests with someone does not mean that we share common values. I’ve struggled with this cognitive dissonance for years. It led to a lot of confusion in my youth: time spent on people that were not worth it and time spent being sheepish or aloof around a lot people who probably would have great friends.
I’m not one for New Year’s Resolutions but if I had to pick one for 2026 it would probably be to finally put my values front and center. Make time for what is important and not be ashamed of it. Spoiler: It’s not going to be grinding limited Magic.