2016 has been a tough year for us liberal, progressive
types. Especially those of us who get to vote in US elections. So, I am sure
you can empathize with my reluctance to pen this annual missive to family and
friends. A ritual that began as a personal and satirical take on the gooey
tradition of the annual Christmas letter has now become a participative
exercise where YOU, the reader help ME via “scribe therapy” manage my varied
demons by providing an audience. Many stop reading here, but for the most
generous of you who are willing to press on as a Christmas mitzvah – thank you.
It was notably “the year of Twitter” – that stupid cacophony
of links, half-thoughts and comebacks. Limiting contributions to 140 characters
is a challenge akin to a modern haiku beloved by the very smart and the very
dumb but it’s just plain weird for the rest of us. So, here are a few of our (slightly
Trumpian) tweets from 2016:
Vacations! My kids go on better vacations than I do now. @Maggie
to Turks and Caicos, @Hannah to Serbia, Greece, Cuba all-inclusive. Is this a
trend? #YOLO
Mom. Winner all the way. Comes through yuge operation to
repair 2 arterial aneurysms bounces back better than before. Dr Tirone David @MunkCardiac,
water-walker, would be my Surgeon General. #YouOnlyLiveTwice
Carolyn’s fallback – long-haul trucker. Fetches @Hannahdaughter
from Halifax King’s liberal arts program. 1800Kms in 1 day. Kid now knows the
difference between Kant and Can’t. Way2go. On to U of T. #mombus #gethigherlearning
 |
| Christmas Eve M&C Solby Creation: Donald Trump Gingerbread |
M-I-L Barb flies through 85th birthday with huge
circle of friends and party central at 8 Elliott. Be positive, swim every day
and go bowling – secrets to success. #makefriendsandbehappy
Good job getting a Summer job/internship @maggiedaughter, in
your chosen field, marketing. #familybusiness. Winning in a winning business program
at “MaggMaster” makes you a winner. I need to believe that. #justpaythebilldear
#snatchthepebblegrasshopper
3 Smith sisters, Duffy, Di and Small Fry dominate the “Try A Tri” triathalon on Toronto Island. Some podium finishes. Winners! #sisterluv
#neverstopmoving. Good way to ruin a nice bike ride, sandwich it between a run
and a swim. #slowman
Summer road trip with @Brunobrother to BostonMass. My Rabbi cousin @AlisonPoir marries Rabbi @MattHaas. (yes, they met studying theology)
So fun seeing family. #wickedsmaht Dad @JohnPoir drops the mike in a PRO cover
of Sweet Caroline #francoamericanidol
Congrats to @paulbrown for organizing the “Wilkinson
Warriors” Dirty Dash team in Cambridge and creating a Brown-Smith-Woodfield flashmob
family reunion on @KimMark’s deck. #whysomuchmud #ShirlBarbMony
More great world tour cycling with friends @FrankandNatalie
in Sri Lanka for 2 weeks. Why Sri Lanka? Only culture, history, beach,
mountain, friendlies, and vicious heat that makes you stop cycling and enjoy
something else. #speedtourism #howcanitbesohot
December blizzard family road trip for Xmas-time in NYC and
not-surprise birthday party for Dad. Snowplow drivers are losers! Too much snow
not enough plow! #Subarusaveslife Superfun to visit with California SuperNephew
@RobertSolby Candidate 2024? #UncleMarc
Big shout out to @JacksonandSienna because nephew Jackson ,12,
now has a cooler phone than @UncleMarc and can pickup the big shoutout. Never
enough @JacksonandSienna who are even cooler than an iphone. More fun times and
great sports in 2017 please #AuntieCarolyn #Siennarunslikethewind.
Fighting back in 2017 with peace, love, understanding and
warm wishes to all our family and friends. Hope to see and hear from many of
you. More “social” than “media”.
