Ideas that didn't make the cut

I apologize to the readers for the somewhat slapdash approach to this column. I had been led to believe that the world was ending on Dec. 21, so a Dec. 26 column seemed pointless. Stupid Mayans.

The end of the year is the time when we either look back, remembering the good and the bad of the year, or we look forward, resolving to do better. In that spirit, I reviewed my notes for my column and blog to see what brilliant ideas failed to make the cut. Having written 24 columns and 52 blogs this calendar year, you can imagine that the ones that didn't make it were probably flawed. You dear readers can be the judge.

Here's just a few ideas that didn't make the cut:

Why the Republican Party is becoming a fringe party. I would have written this column largely to use the line: "Republicans these days are either rich, racist or redneck." Note the clever alliteration.

How if God is omnipotent and loves us, do dear friends get ALS and little kids get blasted in school. I know He works in strange and mysterious ways, but Jesus! (pun intended) Probably too offensive to my many religious friends.

How the African-American purchase on our national conscience is being diminished and/or replaced by Hispanic and other immigrant groups. However, the column would have noted that the nation forgets that the African-American immigrant experience is the only one based on the slave trade. Every other immigrant wanted to come here. I probably would have been called racist, but that may be the price of "courageous conversation."

Why hunters do what they do. I don't quite get the pleasure derived from blasting birds, rabbits and deer. As a hunter stands over the bleeding, twitching carcass, what does he feel? Accomplishment? Sexual gratification? Does he fantasize Daniel Boone?

How women actually do have it all. Although it isn't easy, many young women today can have meaningful careers in every occupation and carry, deliver and mother children. That has never been true before.

Why old high school and college friends enjoy a special status that causes us to forgive their failings and annoying behaviors. I didn't want to give examples lest I lose old friends.

Why I get bored hearing about abortion, same-sex marriage and a broken political system while the earth grows slightly warmer every day. 12-21-2212 is not that far away.

Why anyone would watch TV to see a grieving parent talking about the slaughter of the innocents in Connecticut. It would have provided me an opportunity to use the phrase "grief pornography" and "TV mourner-junkie."

How the outlier on local boards (i.e. the 1 in 7-1 votes) is a good thing — so long as there is just one.

How maybe the best we can hope for is that things will only get worse slowly. Probably a little too dark.

Now I have even worse and crazier ideas than these, but we all have to have our secrets. Hopefully, this column will provide comfort to those who didn't like some or all of my scribblings. It could have been worse.

Let's all do better in 2013! Happy New Year!