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THE EPILOGUE: FARE WELL 2024 AND HELLO 2025
For some reason I have a vague memory about speculating about the year 2001 when I was a kid. It seemed like a good target to imagine what my life as an adult would be in the future and I was wrong about all of it. Now here we are a quarter century into this century and all of this is a surprise as well. Keith's Cabinet in 2001 consisted of Shiner Boch, Tanqueray, Johnnie Walker Black, Belhaven's Scottish Ale and whatever wine was at Costco, preferably Italian or Australian. I was working at Sylvan Learning Center and writing screenplays during my days off. I was pretty sure I was going to marry the woman I was dating and that we would live in some part of California. Even though this future could not have been predicted or selected I find myself quite content with where I landed. I have spent 2024 getting this inventory to the best it is has ever been and have a brilliant time doing so. Not only do I get to purchase and drink these fantastic finds myself I get to turn people on to them as well. In 2001, I was trying to figure out how to teach essay writing to kids who could not read the book they had been assigned. In 2025, I have already made plans for my first trip to Kentucky to pick out more single barrels! Hang in there 2001 Keith, great times are ahead!
2024 was not some kind of non stop thrill ride it had peaks and valleys like most years. I think though that it was a year in which I finally learned some very important lessons about me and life in general. A year in which I became much more comfortable being Keith Haze and figuring out what I want to learn now and how i want to behave in 2025. I feel like I have spent a great deal of the last five years really trying to sort these things out and a lot of progress has been achieved. I don't write many After Rants because I am just not as angry anymore. i put much more eggs into my enthusiasm basket than my anger basket. Most of rages now are based much more on the frustration of not being able to communicate clearly or witnessing ugly behavior. Now during the holidays we get A LOT of requests for bottles from "that distillery" and most of the time it ends with a frustrated person leaving with nothing but sometimes a person asks...."well what would be a good alternative?" HOT DOG! I sure can! Then they leave happy and my faith in humanity gets slightly restored. It serves as an excellent reminder of how close we frequently are to coming up with a solution but how easily the opportunity can be missed.
I want to make sure that I am not missing those opportunities and that I am helping others make them as well. I don't mean specifically about booze, I mean about life in general. Every store dies with a no. The movie opens and our hero gets word of an adventure, "no thanks she says, I'm going to paint the barn ask someone else." That's it, that movie is over. You can have stormtroopers go and kill her only relatives and force her hand but if nothing else happens you get the point. The book is closing on 2024 and whether it was the best year of your life or the worst here comes 2025! You can start a new diet, sign up for Spanish classes, finally sky dive etc but the best move you can make is your mindset. We all know folks that can't wait for whichever year to end because they are certain the next year will be better. Why? Did the seven years of bad luck you got expire on January first? The date on the calendar is arbitrary no matter how palpable it feels. Scrooge wakes up worrying that it is too late "have a I missed it?" But he could have stopped being a piece of garbage on 12/27 or 03/05 or at 1:18 on a Tuesday!
There is no pause button and there are no do overs. There goes 2024 and here comes 2025. You were 23 and now you are 47 and you have no explanation for that. You can recall a couple of things, "well I did go to the Grand Canyon, oh and I had some kids! Look there is little Bobby or Peter or Charlie right over there!" When I was kid Ferris told me that "life moves pretty fast and if you don't stop and look around you might miss it." I have not missed anything and I still get 24 hours a day but do I enjoy it? Do I need to skip school, go to a Cubs game, drive a stolen car, eat fancy food, look at beautiful art, perform in a parade or can I just pet my dog and sip whiskey on my couch? I was exactly where i wanted to be yesterday. I'm looking forward to 2025 and applying the lessons I have learned in 2024. I expect to make the inventory even better, I think my cooking skills will continue to grow, and I will be a better human being. I will face whatever challenges are presented to me the best I can and enjoy my moments in the sun as often as possible. People will be able to rely on me and I will do my best to have a positive impact on those around me.
Thanks for making this an amazing 2024 here at Southern Spirits for me personally and professionally. All of the positive feedback both in writing and in person is incredible. The readership level right now blows my mind and I thank each and everyone of you for that. I am thrilled to have the chance each week to send my little thoughts out there and hope I can spread a little light, love, and mirth out there. So long 2024 and hello 2025!
Cheers
Happy New Year
Keith
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