December 31, 2009 6:16 AM

Then again, for some of us it's just time to buy a new calendar

gop-time-to-go.jpg

New Year's Resolution: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.

  • James Agate

I'm not one to make a lot of New Years resolutions. Lord knows, with my minuscule attention span, any resolutions I make today will probably be forgotten by dinner time tomorrow. I'd rather look back at this past year, especially since I know that I can do so with a sense of wonder, awe, and profound gratitude. Anyone who's hung 'round these parts for any length of time knows that the past 2+ years have been a trying time for me. Divorce (and the associated personal upheaval) will have a tendency to do that, I suppose.

This has been a very difficult, challenging, trying, and ultimately very rewarding year for me. Two weeks into 2009, I met someone who over the course of this year has challenged me in ways I'd never thought possible. In so doing, I'm finally beginning to get to know the person I really am. That hasn't been an easy or always pleasant process, but I'm finally beginning to understand what it means to be real. Having someone in my life who's willing to be patient and loving has helped me to realize that I've lived my entire life trying to be something I'm really not. My challenge going forward to is be real...something that may sound easy, but involves breaking many years of self-protective habits.

In addition to adapting to and learning to enjoy a new and promising relationship, I've also had to come to grips with being diagnosed with ADD. The diagnosis, as you might imagine, has been a difficult thing to adapt to. On the one hand, it's refreshing, because it helps me understand why I do some of the things I do. On the other, all I've ever wanted is to be "normal", and accepting my ADD means that will never happen. The good news is that I've come to understand that there really isn't anything in life that can be defined as "normal". My ADD simply means I face some challenges that others may not. Some of my issues may be a bit more "obvious", but as long as I understand and live within my limitations, life is manageable. That's not such a bad deal after all, eh?

In short, I end 2009 feeling as if I'm just about the luckiest man in the world. For the first time in a long time, I'm excited about what the future holds. Here's to a safe and happy 2010 for all of us. I look forward to sharing it with you.

blog comments powered by Disqus

Technorati

Technorati search

» Blogs that link here

About this Entry

This page contains a single entry by Jack Cluth published on December 31, 2009 6:16 AM.

Welcome to the freak show that was 2009 was the previous entry in this blog.

Things I might be thinking.... is the next entry in this blog.

Find recent content on the main index or look in the archives to find all content.

Contact Me

Powered by Movable Type 5.12