2023 Word of the Year: FEAR: Looking Into the Abyss Without Falling In

 

Grand Canyon. September 2007. Credit: Mzuriana.

OK, this is a surprise, eh? 

A word like FEAR?! On the very first day of the spankin' new year?! What a buzzkill!

Shouldn't it be something inspirational or aspirational like other years, such as:

• 2022 Disciplines
• 2021 Joy
• 2020 Build
• 2019 Action
• 2018 Courage

Well, I'm thinking no. We are living in FEAR-ful times. I want to look at that. I want to look into the abyss of fear without falling in.

I've got FEAR in all caps because FEAR is an acronym for many things in the 12-step universe, such as:

1. Fuck Everything and Run
2. Fighting Ego Against Reality
3. Frustration, Ego, Anxiety, Resentment 
4. Frantic Effort to Appear Real
5. Failure Expected And Received
6. False Evidence Appearing Real
7. False Expectations Appearing Real
8. Feelings Every Addict Rejects
9. Forgetting Everything's All Right
10. Feelings Expressed Allow Relief
11. Face Everything And Recover
    

I'm not sure I'll try and match a month to an acronym. 

Alligators are dangerous sign. New Iberia, Louisiana. March 2015. Credit: Mzuriana.