All his life he tried to be a good person. Many times, however, he failed. For after all, he was only human. He wasn’t a dog.
- Charles M. Schulz
Another year has come and is about to go. Like most other years, it was a melange of death, depravity, hypocrisy, self-interest, religiously-motivated violence (God/Allah/Yahweh must be SO proud), famine, and all manner of other nastiness. I’ve heard some pundits refer to 2014 as “the worst year ever.” I’ll leave that to those who intellects are more nimble than my own…and who actually care about such things.
I have a difficult time judging a year with such a broad brush, and I’m not certain I could add anything new, different, or even particularly interesting to those already heavily invested in summing up the year that was. History isn’t normally written while it’s still taking place, so I’ll leave that to those with the inclination to evaluate such things.
For my part, I prefer to use a very different measuring stick, to look back at this year in very personal terms, and it was in no way “the worst year ever.” It was difficult, emotionally challenging, and life changing…in good ways. I’m happier than I’ve ever been, I still get to write every day, and I rediscovered my family, which, with one notable and unfortunate exception, was a wonderful thing.
I got engaged and am getting married on August 1, 2015, and I’m looking forward to that like I have few things in my life. Erin and I have decided to buy a house together, and we’ve actually found one that we’re seriously interested in. I’m building a life that has meaning, joy, and possibilities…which, in my estimation, at least, makes for a life very much worth living. I’m excited about the future, and I can’t wait to find out what it holds for us. No, it doesn’t suck to be Jack…and that’s a pretty good place to be.
I’m grateful for my readers, some of whom have been with me almost since Day One so many years ago. I still love what I do, and while I still hope to figure out how to make a living off my writing, the fact that I have a soapbox that attracts readers from all around the world is pretty special. I see no end in sight…at least until someone pries my laptop from my cold, dead fingers.
My hope for all of us is that we enjoy a healthy, happy 2015. May we all reach our potential, achieve our dreams, and live interesting lives with meaning, purpose, and joy. And may we all find ourselves back here at the end of 2015, ready to do it all over again in 2016.
Happy New Year!!
