2005 good or bad?

In My Humble Opinion
1

Kind of a sister thread to this thread, but more of a poll, so I’ll put it here.

Was 2005 a good year or a bad year for you?

For me, 2005 was a great year. It started off shitty, with a long cohabitating relationship ending, depression and a drinking problem. I got over the relationship, climbed out of the depression, stopped drinking, got a new (and kickass) apartment, got my degree, got myself a kickass job that gives me lots of money and free time, started working out, lost weight and just generally put my life on track.

So that’s one vote for “good”.

2

I’ll call mine a wash – there was a major family snafu in the start of the year that rippled through all of 2005. On the other hand, my career’s been advancing a bit, and I’ve gotten into some moonlighting to make some extra cash on the side, so that helps with the former.

3

Very good. Graduated from college, started dating the love of my life (both in the same weekend), blissfully cohabitating now. Although some days I question whether moving from Boston to California for grad school was the right thing to do. Although the more we are away from New England, the more we can’t wait to move back, so I guess it is teaching us was really matters.

4

A few months ago, I declared this year my own personal Annus Horribilis and joked about looking forward to New Years Eve. Let’s list the reasons:

January – my grandmother died.
February – caught the flu in all it’s awful glory, including six weeks of backaches. Missed chance to sing beautiful music at Easter because I was too sick to rehearse.
June – finally over the flu; injured knee on June 1st, resulting in 7 weeks on crutches and 4 weeks in a knee brace. Missed chance to sing beautiful music with choir in New York because too injured to stand to rehearse, although the knee brace wouldn’t have been visible under choir robes.
July – shot of Depo Provera taken in arm, not rump because of knee brace hits nerve instead. Four months of soreness and weakness in arm.
October – shot of Depo Provera having gone awry is confirmed. Back to physical therapy. Still trying to get money for physical therapists and visit to doctor back from practice – my arm worked fine before the shot.
November – started looking forward to New Years Eve.
December – caught a cold for my birthday. Romantic dinner was delivery.
A week ago – caught food poisoning at company Christmas party. I figure 2005 was trying to take one last shot at me.

All I have to do is survive the next 36 hours, including the drive to and from work, and I will have officially survived this year!

On the other hand, I’ve got a good job and I’ve only had to take half a day’s sick leave during the past few months.

I’ve also survived meeting the family of the gentleman I’ve been dating for nearly two years now, and found I quite like them. The relationship with that gentleman has grown and deepened and I’ve come to realize that, miracle of miracles, he loves me as much as I love him.

I helped a very dear friend of mine make what we all hope will be his last move to a place which suits him. Considering all he’s been through in the past few years, including his wife’s divorcing him, it’s worth a great deal to see him happy and settled.

I’ve also learned a few important lessons about being patient and letting those who love me take care of me. When I was laid up, not only did my gentleman friend and my other friend do my laundry for me, they even took me grocery shopping and, in general, took very good care of me. When I cried because of my grandmother’s death or out of frustration because I was unable to walk, they let me, held me, and comforted me, something which used to be a bit rare. I’ve learned it’s OK to be weak and that I don’t have to be strong and tough all the time.

2005 hasn’t been a good year when it comes to my health, but it has been a good year in many, many other ways.

All I have to do is survive the next 36 hours!
CJ

5

I already posted in the other thread, so in summary: 2005 has been very good to me.

6

I’ll be so glad to see 2005 go. It’s been a horrible year. :frowning:

7

2005 was about the worst year imaginable and I mean that in an absolute sense. My daughter died in my arms, my circa 1760 house was crushed by a gigantic tree in a freak micro burst windstorm, my native home (Louisiana) was destroyed and old friends scattered so fast that I will probably never be able to talk to them again, I lost my job because of simple bureaucracy problems, a simple car accident 18 months ago surprised me when I was informed that a secondary driver that got bumped in the actual slow-speed (10 mph) collision is sewing for whiplash for hundreds of thousands of dollars over my insurance coverage.

That is just the big stuff. The conversion from Anakin Skywalker to Darth Shagnasty is almost complete.

8

My oldest friend killed himself. My sister went through a very hard patch that I don’t think anyone that age should have to go through. My husband and I bought a new house and moved into it. I went to Gen-Con for the very first time. At work, I was able to advance a bit in both salary and position.

It was below average, definately. Mostly because of the first thing I mentioned. But it wasn’t an unending march of grief and horror, so it could’ve been worse.

9

Extremely Bad Year for me and most of the people I know. Major depression, moving, dental surgery hit me personally.

One of my best friends is dying of AIDS, and another has breast cancer.

10

2005 was a year of Mega-Suckiness in my world. Thank Og it’s almost over.

11

Well in June I had my gall bladder out. In late June my stomach perferated (ripped open) and I came close to dieing. After several operations I was out of work for 3 months. I still have an open wound slowly closing on my belly. My Mom is recovering from uteran cancer. In August my company was purchased by a rival to our department and yesterday I found out that they have made my department “redundant.” I will probably be out of a job by March.

I’m just hoping that 2006 is gentler.

12

Very bad for me. Got dumped by the love of my life.

But I am forcing myself to be optimistic about 2006.

13

Oy. The rest sorta pales in comparison. I’m very sorry. :frowning:

For me it was a mixed bag, but overall there was more good than bad.

14

First half, mostly o.k., but then:
May - surgery
June - entirely-too-young nephew died suddenly.
July - lost job
August - daughter attempts suicide; hospitalized 2 weeks, into September.
September - moving daughter home. Also husband has yet another painful bout with kidney stones.
November - husband has cardiac stent installed
December - still out of work.

Still, compared to some of the others in this thread, I guess I got off easy.

15

Bad. Mom died, fiancée changed her mind, no job.

16

Oh, a difficult year . . . finished dissertation, got academic job, moved across country to a place where I knew no one – some major achievements that I tried to feel joy about, but horrific stress and homesickness overcame any sense of achievement.

Just when I had stopped crying every night b/c of homesickness my 25 year-old brother died in his sleep, putting all of the family into a tailspin.

All in all, I think 2005 goes down in my journal as “the year of loss and grief.”

17

Had a great year here –

Travelled to Europe for the first time. Got a very nice promotion at work. Ran my first half-marathon with surprisingly good results. Lost 20 pounds. Moved up a level in my hockey league. Travelled to a couple new states. Summited the three tallest mountains in Colorado and many other smaller ones. Finally started feeling confident with my photography skills and sold a few prints for the first time.

The question is, can I top this in 2006? :smiley:

18

Let’s see… beginning of last year someone I’d known for 30 years died while attempting to snow-blow his walk… came back from the funeral to find out a friend I used to fly with had died (liver cancer)… got horribly sick… when I recovered I found out another pilot buddy had died (esophageal cancer)…got horribly sick again… parents both got horribly sick, both in hospital, dropped everything to go live with them until better SO unpaid medical leave and thousands in lost income…one of our independent contractors at work called up, said he couldn’t finish his contract as he had terminal cancer and died a week later… a few weeks after that another contractor at work died… I had the flu before/during Thanksgiving and couldn’t visit relatives, was out of sicktime and lost more income… on of my sisters had a “cardiac episode” and had a pacemaker and defibrilator installed… a pilot based at one of the local airports did something stupid, died, and took his family with him… and I’m sick again this weekend.

I’d say it’s been a bad year.

Although Shagnasty still has me beat.

19

Very bad year.

My father died. My special dog died. I have been unemployed , looking desperately for work and finding nothing. I have been living off the SMALL insurance polocy my dad left me, and it is almost gone , and still out of work.

I am scared and alone.

I only hope 2006 is better, but I am not expecting much. :frowning:

20

Has anybody looked into this? From this thread, it sounds like 2005 was the year of universal evil.