On the eve of a new year

“Thank goodness it's nearly over,” say some, “Bring on 2011,” say others. What makes us so hopeful that there's something better on the horizon simply because the calendar clicks over another day? I love the optimism though. Go nuts guys. Be as hopeful as you can. It probably won't change anything, but it can't hurt right?

I'm not going in with anything as strong as optimism this time. Nor hope. More a wariness matched with quiet good humour, and allowances for brief periods of despair, anguish and joy.

It's not 2010 or any other year in particular that makes me take this view and seek an emotional balance. It's just that a lot can happen in a year, and it defies logic to suppose that all of the things that happen in a person's life over the course of a year are going to all be good.. People of my age and older seem to be always exclaiming how fast the years seem to be passing, but the perceived speed of the passage of time doesn't mean we're not packing a lot in to those 365 days.

Last week I made a list of personal highlights and lowlights of the year. Thankfully, there were many more of the former, but with the lowlights being dominated by loved ones dying or becoming ill, I really wish that list was much shorter than it is. The last few weeks in particular have felt like a festival of bad news, with each piece of additional news threatening to bury me in the heavy silt of intense grief.

One highlight I didn't list was the amazing privilege of observing and guiding the growth of the two human beings in my care. They seem to stretch their body frames a little longer as they sleep, waking taller, louder and hungrier each morning, and they make me laugh hard with their wry observations of life. KUTGW Lachie and Darcy.

Our home has swelled slightly with the addition of our housemate Amanda, and we are sometimes visited by Amanda's pug Hugo who snorts like a piglet and can cuddle on a lap for hours. Rosie and Ethan took to Hugo quite well, and people walking, running or cycling on the track at the rear of the house were treated to a trio of loud yappy dogs barking madly, instead of the usual duo. Good times.

The big ticket items this year were special – a trip to Europe, making new friends, reconnecting with old friends - but even the smaller ticket items (is that even a thing?) like seeing shows and dinners with friends were pretty special too.

I think 2010 for me was the year of the Little Girl with a Little Curl. When it was good it was very, very good, and when it was bad it was horrid. A little less intensity next year might be good.

To all my friends, family, colleagues, readers (all 12 of you), frenemies, nemeses, and the dogs, thank you for being part of the rich tapestry of my life in 2010 (and prior). My wishes for you for 2011 are simple: Go well. Be safe. Strive to be happy.
Happy new year.

L


Highlights & Lowlights of 2010
(in almost chronological order)

Highlights

EMC Summer School in Sydney
The go-go challenge
Slow Fashion Show in Melbourne (performing Shake Your Tail Feather)
Seven Days of Awesomeness (related blog)
Easter in Sydney (related blog)
The Swell Season (Melb & Syd)
Trip to Europe (UNI Conference and making new friends, as well as you know, Europe)(related blog)
Weekend in Canberra
Darebin Art Show
Kunst Rock (related blog)
Mrs Bang
Show Don't Tell
Thrill The World (related blog)
Half-Arsed Thursdays
Dinners at Vere & Roseneath Streets
BBQs at Arcadia Avenue

Lowlights

Deaths of Barry Beech, Eric Hopper, Jan Cleeland and Lulu Marilyn Smellybumholehead
Deaths of Rubie Hunter, and James Freud.
Sandy's diagnosis and imminent death. Li's diagnosis.

Favourite TV in 2010

Misfits, Sherlock, Mad Men, Chuck, Modern Family.

Favourite movie of 2010

Animal Kingdom (related blog)

Favourite album of 2010

Belle & Sebastian, Write About Love

Favourite books of 2010
(read in 2010 not necessarily written in 2010)

American Gods, Neil Gaiman
A Fraction of the Whole, Steve Toltz (related blog)
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
The Old Kingdom Trilogy (Sabriel, Lirael, Abhorsen), Garth Nix
Keys to the Kingdom series, Garth Nix
The Tomorrow Series and Ellie Chronicles, John Marsden
Committed, Elizabeth Gilbert