ACCORDING TO ZAC

This year was not great for most people. There were big stretches of it I certainly didn't enjoy. But there were some unique opportunities that could have only occurred in the refining fire of struggle. To list them isn't to detract from the suffering, uncertainty, and the things I still yearn for, but not acknowledging them would make me ungrateful and short-sighted. Those are two things I certainly try to avoid. We rule the courts in Mesa. Watch out. I'm grateful that 2020 has presented opportunities for me to try some new hobbies. I've mentioned this multiple times recently, but I read more books than I have in years , and I'm so happy to have been entertained, challenged, and moved by the words other people committed themselves to write. My world is bigger for it. I've also done more things outdoors than I probably would have otherwise. There was no shortage of time to walk and run along canal banks, try new hiking trails, finally nail down some wakeboarding...

The pickings were slim and the trees unimpressive, and yet I was incredibly happy to be looking over the “fresh cut” pines in the Lowe’s parking lot one night earlier this week. I got it in my head somehow that this year I’ll have a real Christmas tree instead of putting up the hand-me-down artificial one I’ve been using. My fake tree has been perfect for my stage of life: it’s the right size, the right price ( free ), and most of the lights work most of the time. The presents look nice underneath it. By all accounts, it works. But the smell of the real trees in the open-walled tent that night transformed my wish for a real tree from a whimsical one-off into something much more tender. I wasn’t prepared for how the scent of the pines would conjure up the memories of searching for the right tree as a family. Every year until I was about 20 years old, we would make the pilgrimage to various Christmas tree lots to find the tree . We always bought a noble fir, the tallest one that could fi...

My last post was a list. This post is a list. I know I’ll have another list posted by the end of the year. Apparently this site is now a Buzzfeed spinoff where it’s just listicles organized by someone who is passionate but doesn’t utilize science to make good assessments? I’m not mad about it. Recently the prophet asked us to #givethanks on our social media pages. I like to use social media as a window into the lives of others, but I seldom offer my own life up to the internet spectators. I politely abstained from the prophet’s request. And while I did spend time compiling some lists of varying topics earlier this year, most of which involved gratitude, I’m here to #givethanks in a humble bid for repentance. 1. Arizona Gosh, this state. Summer was brutal, and lasted through most of October this year. Damn you, global warming! But the fall wind finally came and carried the desert heat away. I've recently taken to long walks along the canal near my house (nearly 5 miles, most times...