How I Made my First Comic While Wearing a Gas Mask: 2023 year in review

And a bit about the year ahead

I will not bury the lead. The biggest event of 2023 for me was my town catching on fire. So my year in review is basically just about this fire.

The extent of this natural disaster’s impact is immeasurable. Attempts are made by using hectares (13500 burnt by one count). But it’s a unit of measurement that is disconnected from daily life reality. Number of structures destroyed numbered in the hundreds, but some of these structures were the site of hundreds of homes. I estimate approximately 1000 homes went up in smoke.

The fire started on the west side of the 2 kilometer wide lake. It was a sight to see. I went to bed that night thinking it was no use worrying unless the fire jumped the lake. Which was possible due to the fierce winds. This was around August 15th, the 20 year anniversary of the devastating fire that burned the south end of the valley. I woke up the next morning and checked local sources and saw that the fire had indeed jumped the lake. Evacuation alerts were placed to within 7 blocks of my home. Pieces of ash were falling in the yard as I was prepping it. The wind died down but that just meant that the smoke lingered low and thick everywhere. That day a water main burst in my building so a plumber was called in to repair. The possibility of the entire town going up became a reality though perhaps not a likelihood (towns have easy access to water via hydrants and home sprinkler systems).

We played it safe and packed the Jeep. We are always emergency prepared due to our hiking gear being pre-packed. We keep food and water in the vehicle, enough to live on for 3-5 days. But in this scenario we had the task of considering what was essential to starting a new life should we have to relocate due to a total devastation scenario.

• Money and other portable valuables.

• Clothes.

• Religious icons.

• Photos of family.

• Paintings.

• Basic art supplies.
  

We drove 4 hours east and stayed with family as we monitored the situation from there. The smoke was still an issue but in the air filtered home of Uncle Ralph, we were in a good place. “It’s nice to have family isn’t it?” said Ralph to me in an uncharacteristically vulnerable moment. Sure is!

I returned to my town two days later so I could get ready for work and set up the new air filter we bought. That same day I started work to complete my first comic which was eventually published here on substack. I wore a gas mask when the smoke got too bad. But after a few minutes, it was so uncomfortable I decided the smoke was preferable.

Launching a comics publishing business while the world burns, if that ain’t a metaphor!

2024: Theme

I think the idea of a New Year’s resolution is trending down. It seems to me that many feel they have gotten wise to resolutions not working. I do like choosing a word for the year. This word sets me up for paying attention to things a certain way. Last year’s word for me was “LISTEN”. I made a special effort to listen more attentively and patiently to people when they have something to say. I learned how much of a gift it is to let people tell their story without interrupting and without waiting for my turn to speak. And I learned to who to not listen to. Instead of listening to the news during the fires, I listened to the smoke rolling in, to the ash and and embers falling down and left town. I also learned the skill of listening is rare because it is difficult to acquire and master. It takes a life time of practice to be a good listener.

In 2024 I am choosing the word “PLAY”. There are deeply personal reasons for why I am choosing this word. But I can at least say that I think “play” is a sane approach for navigating a mysterious and dangerous world. I can confidently predict that sanity will be in short supply in 2024. Hang on to you hats!

If you were to choose a theme word for 2024, which one would you choose? Let me know in the comments below. See you in the new year!