Resolutions and Reservations

I think I’ve reached that point in my life where the years are literally just flying by and I find myself wondering where the time has gone. Like, I am slowing down to a crawl yet things around me are whizzing past at increasing speeds. It is as if my life has become one big posit for Einstein’s time dilation theory. It is official. I’ve become an old fogy. I shall apply for my AARP card shortly.

This year, I felt the more tangible effects of the internet on my life. Sure, it pays my bills, keeps in contact with people I care about and makes my life a virtual open book to anyone who can work a Google search, but this was a turning point where I’ve come to understand its impact on my life and my impact, however miniscule, on it. I writer words. People read these words. It effects them in subtle ways and in some strange, cyclical way, effects me, the least of which is wondering what kind of person reads my opinions and decides to drop twenty bucks on the original cast recording of Spring Awakening, but that is a post for another day.

This Year…
— I rediscovered the joys of the simple things like life like crayon, coloring books, dolls, stuffed animals and a corny kid songs. There is nothing better than making a two year old laugh.
— I continued my bid to becoming a musical theater geek and took in some great Broadway shows, including the Tony-winning Spring Awakening and the just plain fun Xanadu. I remembered just how lucky I am to live in a city with such immediate access to everything musical. Jazz hands!
— I witnessed two good friends take that plunge into matrimony. In more exciting news, I made a fool of myself at receptions on both sides of Atlantic.
— I was, by in large, successful at my year long photo project and it made me a better photographer.
— I took an exciting cross desert trip with two friends and took one of the finest photographs ever taken. I hugged Kristine W during this trip, which I imagine, will only mean something to those of you who have spent a good deal of time on the dance floor.
— I continued my quest to become a live music maven. This year, I had the privilege of seeing Justin Timberlake, Scissor Sisters, Justice, M.I.A., Berlin, Michael Buble and KT Tunstall live. In any other year, any of these concerts would have blown my mind, but they were nothing compared to the enthralling spectacle that was Daft Punk. This review describes the experience perfectly:

“I closed my eyes and suddenly felt the music wash over me, permeate my brain and take over my body. The rhythms continued apace, I continued to dance, but I also felt the rest of the tens of thousands of people-strong crowd disappear, the sounds they made fade into a dull roar. All that was around me was Daft Punk’s computerized tunes, worming their way into my soul. A sudden sense of peace came over me — an unexplainable calm, really.

The initial rush faded after a few minutes, but the peace lasted (and has continued to last until now). Lately I’ve been very tired, my body very sore, and I’ve felt prematurely old; but after this little peak, I felt looser and more free to dance and move, without feeling self-conscious or in pain. I didn’t feel trapped by my body and its physical limitations; I felt in control — even if the music was controlling me.

“I just found God!” I exclaimed to my friends.”

If I live to be one hundred, I will still be talking about it. Oh, you didn’t see them. Well, that sucks for you.
— I spent hours trapped on a JetBlue plane to nowhere and realized that I can spend hours on a plane with my sanity still in tact. Next stop, Australia.
— I tried my damnest to stick to a running plan that would get into another 5k, but failed miserably when my left ankle decided it wasn’t going to cooperate and my right knee vetoed it too, which resulted in an electoral college defeat of my plan even though it received the popular vote.

Next Year…
— Watch more movies. I feel my attention span shrinking and I don’t like it.
— Try my damnest to stick to another, more sensible running plan and conquer another 5k, two if I am feeling frisky.
— I would love to make my visits to London a more frequent occurrence. The part of me that was English in a past life needs to “connect” with the motherland.
— Continue on my quest to become a concert goer. Unfortunately, I have started a bit late with this and two concerts I wanted to attend next year are already sold out.
— Spend more time with my friends, at least those friends who return my phone calls.
— Make more of effort to get in contact with those friends I’ve become out of touch with.
— I need to create a plan of attack for conquering the Eastern coast of Australia while keeping costs as low as possible. I can get there and back for less than two hundred dollars, right?