Well, here it is. We step forward next month into a new tomorrow. How do you feel about it?

Nothing? Regard this.

Welcome to the richest man in the world now joining the Trump White House.

I got very excited over the news this past week that our new President-elect Donald Trump has what resembles an “associate” vice president.

According to the Washington Post, the South African born Elon Musk is the richest man in the world. Yes, the world.

His wealth was listed as $454.1 billion when writing this column. Let me repeat that — $454.1 billion.

That’s more than Bernard Arnault (who is worth $233 billion), Jeff Bezos ($194 billion), Mark Zuckerberg ($177 billion), and Larry Ellison ($141 billion).

I don’t know anything about this Arnault guy or Ellison, but Bezos is a very familiar name, as is Mark Zuckerberg.

Wow! $454.1 billion. Imagine going to Shaw’s market and slapping down the cash for only two or three lottery tickets, then waking up to find you’re worth 454.1 billion bucks!

Of course it’s not that easy — you wouldn’t get the whole 454.1 billion bucks. I’m told that the taxes on that kind of cash would take a major bite.

Now, hold on. Are you aware that the Walton family — you know them, they own all those stores where you buy your paint and nails from — and that  they are worth $432 billion?

Search your heart. Can you blame the president-elect for bringing Mister Musk of South Africa and his briefcase into the Oval Office and giving him a swivel chair right next to the Resolute desk? How, we wonder, will VP-elect JD Vance feel about all these new furniture arrangements?

Enough of all that. The Donald will be seated in January, behind that famous desk where once again he will store his #2 pencils and the wrappings from his Big Macs for four years.

Our biggest fear should be the possible appointment of one Kash Patel to lead the FBI. He is quoted as saying, “We will go out and find the conspirators — not just in government, but in the media … we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden fix presidential elections … We’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice.”

“In the media.” Those are the words that worry me most. For the time being, and leading up to the Donald taking office, does that mean me?

Oh well. By the time he finds my name in the Waterville phone book, I’ll be living in a cottage in Ireland and washing dishes in a pub.

J.P. Devine is a Waterville writer.