It’s New Year’s Eve and, as usual, social media and my inbox is filling with a flurry of 2022 round ups, people’s achievements, their best moments and heartfelt hopes for the coming year.
It’s nice. Although, I can’t help thinking my own experiences feel a little sparse in comparison.
I can’t give you a yearly wordcount as I haven’t been keeping track, but I did start writing more regularly again, which has been extremely enjoyable if a little slow going.
I managed to finish and publish a book, one that I was pretty darn happy with, and even happier when the reviews didn’t burst my bubble.
The Homestead Series got a facelift, and I also finished a few art pieces.
Against my better judgement, I gave in to the idea that the position of Word Dragon had been empty long enough and the extremely gorgeous M came to live with me. She made me work for it but she’s finally coming around.
The kiddo got married and another family member will be joining us soon.
All in all, it’s been quiet, hard at times in a way I can’t express but we made it through and I feel cautiously positive about the coming year. I’ve even made Plans (!), not limited to but including…
Redoing my website.
Stop envying other people’s cool merch and make some of my own.
Publish [redacted] stories.
Do more artwork.
Be more socially active online and in real life.
It feels like a lot being that I’ve spent the last few years basically huddled in a corner, holding my knees to my chest and rocking while I hyperventilate. But the Word Dragon is already doing her stuff and when I look at my list, I keep thinking about the little girl who wanted to be an astronaut and when she was told she had to study hard, go to college, learn a lot of science, and take a physical fitness test, she shrugged and said, “That’s just 4 things.” [@Jendziura] That might have to be my mantra this year.
Anyway, I hope everyone can leave 2022 with the minimum of regret and nary a backward glance, and enter 2023 with tentative optimism in one hand and a precautionary fire extinguisher in the other. I think if we hammer some nails into a baseball bat and come out swinging, this could be our year.
