In the Waning Hours of 2011

Perhaps waning hours is a little inaccurate, considering my time zone and the fact that it's just after morning here. Whatever. It's poetic and I like it; it's certainly better than "2011: a year in review." Oh, and hello! It's been roughly 1 million internet years since I wrote anything on this blog, which means if you're reading this, I appreciate your continued loyalty in the face of my continued silence.

So this post is going to be about 2011 and what the year meant to me. After 2010, which was a largely negative experience, I wanted to make a dedicated effort to living a better life. Also, it was the year of my "golden birthday" since I'd turned 24 on the 24 (and if you argue that 2010 was the year I turned 24 which makes that the Golden Year, eff off because that lasted for all of seven days.)

How do the years stack up in terms of personal achievement? Let's see:

In 2010, I:

• Graduated from college.
• That's it.

In 2012, I:

• Learned how to ride a motorcycle and got my motorcycle license (and a motorcycle!)
• Backpacked through Aravaipa Canyon, possibly the most beautiful place in Southern Arizona.
• Finished a novel and sent it to an agent (and got rejected, but it's still progress in my book)
• Promoted to a full time position as a Library Associate, which meant more responsibilities, projects, involvement and MONEY. That last one makes me especially happy. What? I work to get paid.
• Completed my Open Water Diver certification to become a scuba diver, a goal that I've only had since I was about 13 or so. I only have a few hundred dollars left to pay before I'll have my own gear
• I'm not sure how to mention the new girlfriend in a way that won't earn me a punch in the arm, so... yeah. New girlfriend. She's awesome. That's all I will say.

For 2012, I plan to:

• Damn it, I don't know. Discover the Higgs boson or something. My BA in Creative Writing qualifies me to be around particle accelerators, I'm sure. They're just like rail guns, right?
• Sky dive? That could be exciting.
• I want to dive a shipwreck and see one (1) shark. More sharks are also acceptable.
• Write another book probably. Publish the one I wrote. Finish the two that I've started.

My point is that overall, 2011 was a very good year. I'm proud of what I did and I'm excited about what 2012 will bring. I could close out here with something cliched about setting goals, taking aim, getting out there and doing things, but I don't deal in cliches (much). If I have a regret, it's that it took me until my mid-twenties to get out into the world and start living my life in a way that matters. If I have one thing I'm proud of, it's that it only took me until I was 24, which means I still have enough time and don't have enough personal responsibilities to keep me from realizing that diving in shark-infested waters may not be conducive to long term health.

For a closing though, I think Terry Pratchett said it better than I ever could (which is true of most things, actually, which is why he's Terry Pratchett and I'm... not): “Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can. Of course, I could be wrong.”

I'll never stop loving fantasy and games and stories. But at the same time, I'm glad that I'm glad that I'm doing more than just making things up and playing pretend with my life. That's a good feeling.

Happy New Year!


-Matthew