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So, since we're now into the second week of 2011, it may be time to make my New Year's post. Which will include a statement of anti-procrastination resolve. Or should, anyway.
2010, like 2009 before it, was mostly ... quick. A function of age, I suppose; since as you age, a year represents much less of a fraction of one's life lived to that point. And also a function of being too busy to catch much of a breath in 2011. Aside from quick, it was neither here nor there for me; it just was. I've called years good or bad before, but it strikes me that such is giving circumstances too much power to cloud one's overall state of mind. There are circumstances, good and ill; and there are our responses to them, good and ill -- and the latter is a main deciding factor in how we frame our life situation and, put most simply, how we feel. Sorta, anyway -- but I wouldn't go too far with that line of thinking; it's a bit too power-o'-positive thinkin' for my tastes, and it minimizes the reality that sometimes people go through horrific periods of hell on earth, and saying "Change your reality by thinking positive" is glib and offensive and unhelpful and useless (and it's nowhere that simple, anyway, even if it weren't all those things). I just read a post from a friend who's watching her mother recede into the mists of dementia. And that's horrible, that's bad, that sucks. Objectively, and subjectively.
I guess it's more that our life story is made up about equal measure of the circumstances that befall us -- over which we have limited control -- and our reactions, over which he have more (though not total) control; and each affects the other.
Four a.m. ramblin' (lack of) logic at work here.
Just my lead-in to say this wasn't the best of years, though it wasn't the worst. I had some disappointments this year, but no devastating horrors. (Mostly, it involved being pulled off my Dream Job of the previous 21 months, early in the year, and trying to recalibrate from there.) Sometimes I responded well to challenges, and sometimes I responded poorly, and sometimes I barely responded at all.
Philosophical flights aside, the nuts and bolts of 2010 involved a lot of work-related transitions -- I think my slate of duties morphed at least four times this year, most recently about a month ago -- and some increased awareness of mortality, as more and more people of my acquaintance make their passages beyond. (Nobody I knew particularly well, other than a lady in my church who died after several months dealing with pancreatic cancer -- and approaching it with the strong faith in Christ and giving attitude with which she lived her life.) Didn't lose weight in 2010, but I don't think I gained any either. Didn't do much if any prose writing, but I did write a song and sing it on a real stage in front of real people. Didn't keep my beloved A&E-editor job, but still got to do a fair bit of writing in that field throughout the year (including interviews with people ranging from choreographer Garth Fagan to Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson to Neil Innes of the Rutles and Monty Python's orbit, plus lots of lovals). And I got to continue being a daily presence in my mom's life, running her errands and relating to her as friends as she continues aging (84 this past Monday) but stays resilient, tough and sharp. And I read some good books (*) and attended some good concerts and plays and made it to some fabulous SF and filk conventions and had some good meals and, thoughout the year, enjoyed the company of many good friends. And, as haltingly and circuitously as always, continued coming to know the Lord to whom I've offered my allegiance and my love.
So it was a good year, and a bad year, and a quick year, and a long year; and it had tragedies, and it had triumphs, and I suppose that's as it should be.
To those of you who've known more tragedy than triumph this past year, you have my empathy, support and prayers, should you wish them.
And many hearty congratulations to those among you who've had big milestones of happiness and/or accomplishment in 2010:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hsifyppah and Joe for welcoming Gregory into the world Dec. 27; seanan_mcguire for being awarded the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer at the Worldcon and for her increasing presence on finer bookshelves across this fine globe; to braider for buying a home (and already, just weeks in, making some wonderful memories in it, from her reports); to lemmozine upon his retirement; and to others whose milestones I'm blankin' on.
As for 2011: I'm aiming to pray more and play more, read more and dance more, write more and, yes, work more (though with grace and humor), think more and feel more, eat better (not more, 'cause c'mon), sing more and walk more and talk more and listen more. And love more.
Those are good goals, I think. On with 'em.
(*) The traditional Books What I Read post will follow in a day or two, for fans of such things.
Pages: What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 by Daniel Walker Howe
Sounds & Images: Calexico's cover of Tom T. Hall's "Tulsa Telephone Book"
State O'Mind: Reflective, and anticipatory
2010, like 2009 before it, was mostly ... quick. A function of age, I suppose; since as you age, a year represents much less of a fraction of one's life lived to that point. And also a function of being too busy to catch much of a breath in 2011. Aside from quick, it was neither here nor there for me; it just was. I've called years good or bad before, but it strikes me that such is giving circumstances too much power to cloud one's overall state of mind. There are circumstances, good and ill; and there are our responses to them, good and ill -- and the latter is a main deciding factor in how we frame our life situation and, put most simply, how we feel. Sorta, anyway -- but I wouldn't go too far with that line of thinking; it's a bit too power-o'-positive thinkin' for my tastes, and it minimizes the reality that sometimes people go through horrific periods of hell on earth, and saying "Change your reality by thinking positive" is glib and offensive and unhelpful and useless (and it's nowhere that simple, anyway, even if it weren't all those things). I just read a post from a friend who's watching her mother recede into the mists of dementia. And that's horrible, that's bad, that sucks. Objectively, and subjectively.
I guess it's more that our life story is made up about equal measure of the circumstances that befall us -- over which we have limited control -- and our reactions, over which he have more (though not total) control; and each affects the other.
Four a.m. ramblin' (lack of) logic at work here.
Just my lead-in to say this wasn't the best of years, though it wasn't the worst. I had some disappointments this year, but no devastating horrors. (Mostly, it involved being pulled off my Dream Job of the previous 21 months, early in the year, and trying to recalibrate from there.) Sometimes I responded well to challenges, and sometimes I responded poorly, and sometimes I barely responded at all.
Philosophical flights aside, the nuts and bolts of 2010 involved a lot of work-related transitions -- I think my slate of duties morphed at least four times this year, most recently about a month ago -- and some increased awareness of mortality, as more and more people of my acquaintance make their passages beyond. (Nobody I knew particularly well, other than a lady in my church who died after several months dealing with pancreatic cancer -- and approaching it with the strong faith in Christ and giving attitude with which she lived her life.) Didn't lose weight in 2010, but I don't think I gained any either. Didn't do much if any prose writing, but I did write a song and sing it on a real stage in front of real people. Didn't keep my beloved A&E-editor job, but still got to do a fair bit of writing in that field throughout the year (including interviews with people ranging from choreographer Garth Fagan to Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson to Neil Innes of the Rutles and Monty Python's orbit, plus lots of lovals). And I got to continue being a daily presence in my mom's life, running her errands and relating to her as friends as she continues aging (84 this past Monday) but stays resilient, tough and sharp. And I read some good books (*) and attended some good concerts and plays and made it to some fabulous SF and filk conventions and had some good meals and, thoughout the year, enjoyed the company of many good friends. And, as haltingly and circuitously as always, continued coming to know the Lord to whom I've offered my allegiance and my love.
So it was a good year, and a bad year, and a quick year, and a long year; and it had tragedies, and it had triumphs, and I suppose that's as it should be.
To those of you who've known more tragedy than triumph this past year, you have my empathy, support and prayers, should you wish them.
And many hearty congratulations to those among you who've had big milestones of happiness and/or accomplishment in 2010:
hsifyppah and Joe for welcoming Gregory into the world Dec. 27; seanan_mcguire for being awarded the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer at the Worldcon and for her increasing presence on finer bookshelves across this fine globe; to braider for buying a home (and already, just weeks in, making some wonderful memories in it, from her reports); to lemmozine upon his retirement; and to others whose milestones I'm blankin' on. As for 2011: I'm aiming to pray more and play more, read more and dance more, write more and, yes, work more (though with grace and humor), think more and feel more, eat better (not more, 'cause c'mon), sing more and walk more and talk more and listen more. And love more.
Those are good goals, I think. On with 'em.
(*) The traditional Books What I Read post will follow in a day or two, for fans of such things.
Pages: What Hath God Wrought: The Transformation of America, 1815-1848 by Daniel Walker Howe
Sounds & Images: Calexico's cover of Tom T. Hall's "Tulsa Telephone Book"
State O'Mind: Reflective, and anticipatory
