While the official halfway point of the year isn’t until July 2nd (somehow), I’m considering this week to be the mark that officially splits 2026 in two.

My logic here is simple: Today is June 16th, meaning we’re halfway through the sixth month of the 12-month calendar.

That logic might also have something to do with the sludge of a year that I’ve had so far, with brain surgery, job loss and a lot of blood, sweat and tears somewhere in between those two points in space and time.

All told, 2026 has been a year that yours truly and my wife (among many others in the Boan clan) would like to see end, post haste.

Still, as we trudge through the 100-something degree inferno that is Arizona in June, there are still silver linings out there if you’re foolish enough (in my case), to roll with the punches.

One of my personal favorite artists is Charlie Crockett, who has released what feels like 45 albums since the dark days of the ‘Rona, though my personal favorite is 2020’s “Welcome To Hard Times.”

The title track of that album starts with a bang, as Crockett croons that life’s like a casino, where the dice are loaded and everything’s fixed.

Still, Crockett’s ballad breaks down the Faustian bargain that we all make in life, where we do whatever it takes to get through the day.

Where We Go From Here…

Like Charlie, I’ve had lots of blinking lights stretched out in front of me this year, and like him, I’m ready to pound the pavement to get the hell out of Dodge.

While 2026 has been a series of diamond-spiked blows to the shins thus far, there’s plenty of real estate left to navigate and lots of highs left on the horizon.

I, for one, have long been called the world’s most pessimistic optimist, due to my love of four-letter words and curt assessments of the state of the world around me.

Call it the side effect of having spent more than a decade in journalism. Call it the result of a life spent chasing the next big thing, career or story wise.

Either way, my recent bout of unemployment has reminded me of the things that actually get me out of bed in the morning; those being (in no particular order), my wife, dogs and grinding out a few thousands words a week on this newsletter.

I’ve also been reminded recently of how much fun it is to play golf when no one else is within a country mile of you (due, once again, to the searing heat of summers in Phoenix), spraying a praying my drives 225 yards in no particular direction with reckless abandon several times a week.

That last little nicety has helped keep me going since I was laid off last month, while my wife has been the cornerstone of my recovery from my brain’s decision to stop pumping properly earlier this year.

With the love of my life and my friends (many of whom are smart enough to subscribe to this newsletter) in my corner, there’s nothing that seems out of reach, giving me reason for hope as we start the unofficial second half of the year.

Life might not be fair, but it’s a road that’s worthy of being tackled with gusto all the same, covering ground each day and doing what we can to make the trip enjoyable for all involved.