Renewal. Daughter got her insulin pump, which has made her life much easier: hubby was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, which saved his life: son got an A in math (and that’s amazing!) and I started on a weight loss journey of a lifetime.
2009 has not been too bad, overall. I pray for an awesome 2010 for everybody!
Having big hopes and taking big risks, only to see them fail miserably. 
Seriously, though, there were a few things like this occurring.
I met an amazing guy who I nearly, stupidly, fell for before realizing he didn’t want anything more than casual sex and a casual goodbye.
I was extremely close to getting into the University of Florida (we were about to metaphorically pop the champagne open), when I get an email entitled “Rejection Notice”. Ouch. So much for that.
For a while, now, I’ve been very numb and disengaged from the world around me and not at all open to the possibility of fulfillment or happiness. This year, I opened up a little, tried new things, took chances. And…didn’t get very far.
But I realize that this year was just the beginning of what I hope will be a better life for me. Taking a few chances will always hold the risk of failure and disappointment, and losing a guy, or getting rejected from the school of my dreams, doesn’t mean that I should give up my hopes. I’ve said this before, but there isn’t one person in the world who will make you happy. There isn’t one path in life that will bring you fulfillment. There will be many, many new opportunities down the road, if only I can recognize them before they pass. Strangely, having strong feelings for someone for pretty much the first time has made me more excited than ever to meet new people, even though nothing worked out the way I’d hoped. Not being able to go down a particular path at the moment has made me turn around and realize all the other paths that surround me. I know I can find happiness within me and without.
It’s going to be a good year.
Stauderhorse, I think the fact that you took risks in the first place made the year a huge win for you. Next year you can just hope for different results.
So you’re a “glass half empty” kind of guy, aren’t you?
For me it was a wonderful year. I was laid off in October of 2008. But my savings, my mediocre severence and unemployment got me through 2009. I was able to pay my mortgage, buy food and pay the bills without borrowing money or going into any kind of debt.
I volunteered a great deal and let me tell you, when you are helping feed and talking to homeless drug addicts it’s hard to feel sorry for yourself.
I become much more introspective, in a good way, and made a lot of changes to my lifestyle. I de-cliuttered much and managed to read lots of books. I kept the house clean, the yard mowed and managed to not sit on my butt all day watching movies. Even was able to help a buddy who needed a place to live by giving him crash space for a month.
Got hired this past October 28th, 51 weeks after getting laid off. Wow. I cannot believe I made it. Great year.
Thanks everyone. Y’all have no idea how much it means to me. And I do wish you all the most amazing year (and by extention, decade) ever.
Any year without a biopsy at the dermatoligist’s office is a good one for me. I did have too many trips to the dentist, though.
I took a ride in a B-17 (a life-long dream), finally made it to North Cascades National Park, and got to interview my musical hero for the second time. 2009 wasn’t a bad year at all.
Overall, this hasn’t been such a great year for me, but it’s been perhaps the most important one of my life. Today I’m hopeful that 2010 will be better and even more life-changing.
Actually, yes.
Deep stress over family medical issues, but hopefully in the long term 2009 will be remembered as The Year We Paid Off The Mortgage.
For me, it was a year of validation and humility.
Validation: I took a risk and applied to the toughest grad schools I could find in the area. I got into all of them, and actually received funding for half of my tuition. I think my self-esteem was in the gutter, but having my hard work validated in such a resounding way just allowed me to start believing in myself again.
Humility: The unique challenge of my program completely blindsided me. I expected it to be academically rigorous, but I didn’t expect it to be emotionally provocative. The last four months have just been consistently poking at all my sore spots and bringing out all my weaknesses and dragging all of my demons out of the closet. I have felt like one giant walking ball of insecurity, depression and unhappiness.
But you know… that’s good. Because I found that my demons cannot destroy me. They can cause a terrible ruckus, but they can’t disable me the way they used to. I was absolutely miserable this semester, but you know what? I did awesome, as in streaks of consistent A+s.
My goal for 2010 is to find a way to relax in the middle of a very unrelaxing environment. I survived last semester in tact, but it totally sucked because I was way, way, way, WAY too hard on myself. I worked myself into a near panic every week. I procrastinated out of fear and woke up exhausted every morning. I ruminated on every perceived failure.
I started doing some hard work toward the end of this year, mentally, facing the core pains from my past in a way I’ve never done before–in a way that will allow me to grieve and finally move on. I’m right in the middle of that work, and one miraculous thing I’ve learned is that all this shit I say to myself, all these ways I threaten myself, badger and harangue myself, none of it is actually necessary to my success.
So my goal for the year is just to let go of it all. Let go of that internal monologue and finally be free of that judgmental crazy person always screaming over my shoulder. My goal is to learn to accept the fact that I am not perfect. No, scratch that – my goal is to learn to LOVE the fact that I am not perfect. My goal by the end of the year is to wear my imperfection like a badge of honor, and stand in the midst of the craziness and be imperfectly okay with everything.
Hurricane Ike.
Damn near destroyed my Taekwondo school. We still have a lawsuit pending over the light pole that smashed through the roof.
…some sort, and I’m looking forward to that feeling of a new start.
Some amazing things happened to me this year. I spent another year with a wonderful woman and we moved into our first place together six months ago. Almost every day I go home, look around and can’t believe where I live. I didn’t know I would ever feel that way about a place. I’m stretching out with my writing and I like the ambition and the craziness of what I am trying. I think it has some promise. I saw my girlfriend get a paid acting gig. One of my brothers seemed to get some direction in his life and he’s working toward a masters degree.
I also saw a lot of people suffer this year. The economy kept a lot of people thoroughly stressed from January to December. Some coworkers lost their jobs and others left, and it’s changed the way things feel at work. One of my best friends spent months unemployed this year, and was underemployed at others times, and dealt with a lot of depression. I’m hoping things get better for her.
In January I watched my youngest brother go through chemotherapy, which was maybe the most excruciating thing I’ve ever experienced. The Make-A-Wish Foundation did a great thing for him in March in setting him up (and friends, and family) with tickets to a lot of Allman Brothers shows. His bass was played onstage near the end of the run. And right after that, from March to May, he had radiation therapy. In June I went to a conference for survivors and family members of people who have his type of cancer, and that was a very intense and emotional experience. I met two families who had lost children younger than my brother. I still don’t know if I feel better or worse because I went. All the same I’m glad I did.
The second half of the year was better. There was the move, and there were all the everyday events and changes that went with it. Moving twice would not normally make my list of positive things about a year but I’m much happier. My youngest brother has been accepted to five colleges already this fall, after I’d spent much of the last three years wondering if he’d live through high school. That was overwhelming. During the fall I decided I needed to let go of some of the fears I’d picked up over the last couple of years, mostly related to his health, and that made a lot of difference for me. But I’m hoping that as we move in 2010, things will improve for the people around me.
Good on ya, Olives. Congrats to everyone who’s taken strides this year.
I like this thread. What say we make this kind of thing an annual tradition?
Death and, I hope, a new beginning.
2009 was the year I bought a house for the first time. Hurrah!
Everything I’ve ever read about Grad school pretty much sums it up to one word: Stress.
Revel in your imperfection. Flaunt it and good luck!
This was the first year since 2003 that I did *not *have a stomach operation. Yay!
Bliss, luck and happiness beyond imagining. It felt like a year of having genuine magic wishing power.
I feel very sad to see the end of 2009. I’m sure it’s the best year I’ve ever had.
I knew it! Sleight-of-hand, my arse!