As a White Sox fan, 2023 has been pretty awful. In fact, 2023 has been pretty awful for much of the world. but I don't want to digress. That's not why either of us are here. We're here to look at bright sides. We're here to find reasons why 2023, at this moment, isn't so bad as it may seem. And in that spirit, I offer some reasons to be cheerful, which may or may not be followed by more reasons, should more occur to me. Please, please feel free to add your own in the comments. We could all use them.

1. The season is over. The Sox cannot lose any more games in this calendar year, unless you include Fall League games, which I am clearly not doing. Nope. No more losing games in 2023.

2. As I type, it is unseasonably warm and sunny for October. This is probably portends very bad things over the long haul, but for today, it's a reason to be cheerful.

3. If you're reading this, it means you are alive and at least minimally literate. These are both wins.

4. Louis Robert Jr. is a pretty darned good baseball player and is still, as I type, still on the Sox.

5. If you are reading this, you probably have either a functioning internet connection, good phone coverage, or both. This means you can go read other fascinating things about this fascinating world that have nothing whatever to do with the White Sox. It also means you can go call or text or email you Mom or Dad. I can't. My Mom and Dad are both dead. But I do have children and grandchildren, so I can go call or text or email them, and that's not nothing. If you have no parents or children, you probably still have friends or siblings. Go forth and see how they're doing.

6. Chris Getz hasn't done anything egregious yet.

7. There is a new Japanese Godzilla movie coming out on 1 December. Godzilla Minus One. It takes the Big Guy very seriously. The trailers look great. You have something to live for until at least 2 December.

8. We are one day closer to whenever, however, Jerry no longer owns the White Sox and calls the shots.

9. Dogs and cats and capybaras and platypuses are all cute and funny and real animals that exist. A couple actually make good pets.

10. Bootsy Collins is alive and well and routinely putting out new, terrific music.

10a. Therefore, the one continues to giveth.

11. Imagine being a big Bears fan about now. If you are a big Bears fan, scroll on by.

12. As I type, the US is still, more or less, a democracy. Shaky, perhaps, but it could be a lot worse, but probably not for at least another year or so.

13. Jake Burger gets to play some playoff baseball, and Jake Burger seems like a very good guy. Go forth into October glory, Jake Burger.

14. There are literally thousands of books in print, many of them will appeal to you. And remember, you're clearly at least minimally literate.

15. If you have a dog or cat or capybara or platypus it probably loves you.

16. Again, the season is over and it is utterly impossible for the Sox to lose any more games in 2023. Go forth and live your life.