This year, Maine joined the ranks of cities and states that have been struck by the American plague of the mass shooting. Instead of being known for our lobster or our coastline, we will be known as home to the site of the 10th-deadliest mass gun murder of the modern era. “The wheel of the year” felt at times like one of those medieval torture wheel devices. 2023 was not an easy year for Maine.

It was a tough year for me too. Not the worst one I’ve had, but one that I’ll be feeling pretty comfortable leaving in the rear-view mirror. I had not one but two breakups. More devastating by far, I lost my cat Juno to kidney failure at the age of 12. She and I had been together for nine years, and she was by my side, rain or shine, steadfast and screechy, summer and winter (which is more than I can say for the various men I’ve gone out with). I still miss her, and I won’t be getting a cat of my own again for a long time.

But not long before I lost Juno, I gained Karma, my second dog and very first puppy. The universe seems to have created her as a perfect complementary counterbalance to my first dog, Janey. Where Janey is smart but scared and standoffish, Karma is friendly, open-hearted and not exactly the crispiest MilkBone in the box, if you know what I mean.

In August, I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, finally finding a medical explanation for the experience of feeling incorrectly assembled for 31 years. I’m still untangling exactly what that means for the rest of my life, but it’s certainly brought me clarity and peace of mind to know that I’m not dumb or crazy or bad at things that most other people take for granted (reading emotions, sensory input, not constantly fiddling with my hair, and rocking back and forth when stressed). I’m just wired differently.

Also on the medical front, I managed to contract COVID-19 in September, after two and a half years of ducking it. It ended up not being a huge deal, thanks to vaccines and Paxlovid, but it was entirely unpleasant and messed up my sense of taste so much that, for the first and only time in my life, yogurt-covered pretzels tasted good to me. On the plus side, I passed my one-year kidneyversary lab tests with flying colors; my solo kidney has had no trouble adjusting to single filterhood.

In 2023, I made new friends. I spent time with my family, including traveling to Smithfield, Virginia, and visiting the world’s oldest preserved ham. (A true highlight.) I joined my local school board. And I’ve even gotten a new relationship off the ground. For the past three months, I’ve been going out with the same person from Lewiston who was with me on the night of the shootings. On this matter, I must issue a correction. At the time I was under the impression I was dating a man, whom I pseudonymously called Beau. I have since been informed that, despite what the doctor wrote down at birth, Beau is in fact a woman and will henceforth be known as Bo. I liked Beau quite a bit, and in 2024, I’m looking forward to falling even more in love with Bo.

At the end of 2022, I set two New Year’s goals – less superstitious folks than I might call them “resolutions,” whereas “goals” leaves room for change, shifts and failure. “Resolution” is pretty non-negotiable.

I wanted to continue Operation Buns for Buns, selling donated Playboy magazines and giving all the proceeds to the Good Shepherd Food Bank and the St. Elizabeth’s Essentials Pantry. That I managed to do, and we raised about $1,500 for each charity. The other goal was to donate more platelets. That I have failed at. So my goals for 2024 will include: continue the good (if naughty) work of Operation Buns for Buns; donate more platelets; and, thanks to a slight intervention that was staged by my family at Christmas, I will get Karma into some proper puppy training. (What she lacks in malice she makes up for in meatheadedness.)

Whether your 2023 was wonderful or awful, I hope your 2024 will be even better.

Happy New Year, Maine. I love you.

Victoria Hugo-Vidal is a Maine millennial. She can be contacted at:
themainemillennial@gmail.com
Twitter: @mainemillennial

Copy the Story Link