The Turn Of The Year

It's that time again!



Another year ending and another beginning. 2008! It sounds so tomorrow, doesn't it? When I was young it meant jetpacks, holidays on the Moon and robot technology that would free mankind from drudgery forever (and spit your clothes out of the washing machine neatly ironed, folded and sealed in plastic bags).

The reality is a lot more mundane feeling, even though we have things that were unheard of when I was a youngin'. iPods. Global Warming. It feels like we're getting closer to (if not on already) the cusp of the need to make things better or screw them up forever. We're both more consumer driven than ever, and yet green/fairtrade/end poverty movements seem to be gathering momentum. All social trends seem to create some sort of counter ripple. Backlashes. Conservatism breeds a liberal push. Rampant consumerism breeds a push for simplifying, for sustainability, for ethical trade. It's a funny old world we live in.

I like to think and hope that we're moving forward, to a world that puts more thought into social justice, resource use, the environment, each other.

On a personal level I feel like I'm ending the year with positive change. Although 2007 has been a pretty good year on balance. Highs and lows, joy and ennui, happiness and high dudgeon, but generally a fairly positive year. I dated, and even though it didn't really go anywhere it still was a fairly positive experience. It also gave me joy to see some of the most important people in my life develop relationships. Some days writing this blog was tough, but I had so much joy from writing on all the other days, and so much pleasure from my readers and commentors, that it was a good year for me blogwise. Work is a bit more interesting, and better paid than early in the year. I have some plans, and especially lately I've achieved some goals I set myself, even though I had a few points during the year where I felt lazy and unmotivated. My health was a bit wobbly this year, but I've brought my blood pressure and cholesterol down even though I still need to work on my weight. I lost my photo taking and creative mojo at times, but then I discovered knitting (and especially the joys of the knitting community) and I feel more creatively fired up than I have for ages.

I don't generally make firm resolutions but I do feel quite excited about the year ahead, and about what I want to achieve. About goal setting, about creative projects, about a healthier home environment, and about friendships and relationships, and about rolling with the punches and the tough times. Part of the excitement is seeing just what the year will bring though, right? What highs and lows?

Hopefully you'll all have a good year in 2008, with health, love and happiness, and hopefully you'll all hang around to see what 2008 has in store for me as well. My sincere thanks for stopping by and reading this year! Drop me a comment sometime if you haven't before, and hopefully we can share the year together.

Much love, Andrew