In spite of ourselves and what we may believe, we have more in common with one another than we do differences. For some people, this can be a difficult pill to swallow. For us introverts, that would mean every time we thought to ourselves how much we hate people, it, in turn, meant we hated ourselves (... which, hopefully, we don't. You're awesome! An absolute dime.), because we are, after all, people. However, there is definitely something to be said for the beauty of fitting in, even if it's in some vague, unclear way.
It doesn't have to be in a concrete way - like a photo of you and your buddies at some bowling tournament. Spare me. Rather, I'm talking about a smaller, simpler shared connection among everyone - it isn't even voluntary, it just happens; it bonds us. Little things, like when the city is doing road repairs and they've blocked off your route to work - and, you go to bitch about it on Facebook, and everyone else is already bitching about it! What a great time to be alive! Unless you're a construction worker, of course. It might seem silly, but it is the little things like that that help me ground myself in reality.
For 2025, I feel like I had a renewed, reinvigorated enthusiasm for what I was doing with Mishmashers Publishing and all the different places I wanted to take our little company. In some ways, I think even that was a shared emotion - or, more so, maybe, a way to offset the shared anxiety we all had for 2025: "That 2025 is really, really going to suck."
I really tried to fight against that sentiment. It has been a while since Mishmashers has attended a Comic Con, that could be something! We could definitely stand to do a little more on our socials, help spread the word about this bumbling group of artists. I can touch up the Mishmashers website and start ad campaigns, get things organized. And, in truth, although we haven't made much of a peep in what feels like ages - we've been actively working on exciting new things.
I started 2025 with good intentions, and, unfortunately, that's also how the road to Hell is paved.
In March, I faced an unexpected setback and I have been left licking my wounds since then. You see, lately, we've been getting a lot of rainfall in my neck of the woods.
Last year, I had a traumatic experience while on the way to my day job (which is actually at night) where there was a storm outside so bad a large tree fell in front of my car and, as I did a U-turn, another tree branch fell, along with a power line, effectively making me and my car the filling to a tree sandwich.
Since then, I have tried to be more conscientious about flooding and storms, and such, and, frankly, have just been kind of uneasy about it. Thus, I was aware of the storm that was brewing, with estimates of about 2 to 3 inches of rainfall, and significant chances of flash flooding. I was staying inside that day. Yes, sir.
And, like the opening sentence to a clickbait article, I never could have imagined what'd happen next...
Where I live has never had any issue with flooding whatsoever. I technically live in a flood zone because I live nearby to a creek, but, in the five or so years my wife and I have lived here, we'd never experienced a single flood. Nay, not one, - not even as much as a puddle in our driveway. Which is why it was so difficult to put into words how we felt when we stepped outside on our porch and saw our 2015 Ford Explorer almost completely submerged by rainwater. Hopeless. In shock. In a state of complete, utter disbelief.
Unfortunately, it only became worse as the night went on. The debris from the nearby creek had acted as a battering ram, bringing down our basement door, sending the flood washing in. Everything in the basement - ruined. The water heater - destroyed. Our A.C. unit and furnace - destroyed.
The first day, stepping outside and looking at all the damages, it felt like time had stopped in place for us.
So, I had the wind taken from my sails a bit - struck my unexpected financial hardship and being met with newfound anxieties. It is a downer, but this is where the latest chapter in Mishmashers' story begins.
I look forward to cluing all of you in on some of the exciting things we have in the pipeline - right after I bitch online about construction workers blocking my way home!
Sincerely,
McConnaughay
