I tried to sit down and write out a list of what I accomplished in 2008 so I could work out what was good and what was bad and what I should be focussing more energy on, and there seem to be two BIG THEMES.
The first one is when I look back on when I was happiest in 2008, and I did have some happy moments, for sure, I was either doing something that would last, or having that evanescent, you had to be there, fun of hanging with friends and not doing much of anything at all except by being present. Like Conflikt I, or Baumfest. I was so happy at Baumfest I’m sure I glowed in the dark. I am seriously thinking of organizing a company camping trip this year. I wish I’d been blogging when I went to my first company camping trip.
I posted Youtube videos, wrote some songs, although I feel like my creativity in the song writing department is stuck in a drawer, gave a homily, worked on forgiveness (with some people), established some boundaries (with some people), continued working on an appropriate quid pro quo with Jeff, quit smoking, reduced my alcohol consumption (although I’m going to keep working on that), took my first stammering steps towards exercising regularly, really started addressing some interpersonal stuff with Keith and Paul, gave about a thousand neckrubs, unjammed the photocopier about 16 times (including removing staples from where they ought not be), shoveled a walkway so people could get to their cars here on my street, paid the fare of a homeless person, fed lots of people, got a new fandom, gave more money to charity than I ever have in one year in my life, including money I will not get back on my taxes, and including supporting other artists and bloggers with cash, went to France, saw Dave in Toronto, went to a Pondfilk, paid tuition for Katie (wee!) with help from folks and ex, went to Conflikt and listened to 30 people sing the Tapioca Song, had my bad manners result in the departure of the worst neighbours evar, and learned some very hard lessons about what a dipshit I can be at times.
So 2009…. Inoculate myself against feuds, make up my mind which church I’m going to go to (Beacon is SO far away, and in this weather it might as well be on Mars, but I scarcely know anybody in the Vancouver church), write more tunes, make sure I spend at least one weeknight exercise, and play live music at least once a month.
Re the blog, more long posts and fewer roundups. Maybe quit worrying about posting once a day…. thoughts?
Re: long posts: which approach – long or short – generates the most value in terms of honing your writing?
Re: Roundups: I for one enjoy them, but you have to calculate your own cost-benefit, cost being, I would think, time.
Re: posting once a day, yes, quit worrying. I’ll look for your blogs every day but don’t let that influence you. My “blog” on niebuhrgathering so far has had the widest gap of a month, more usually it is a week, but I know of only three people who read it regularly so I don’t have anything resembling a fan base to consier. I write that blog for myself, to help me keep my family history thoughts, planning and projects on track. They serve me well for that purpose, If anyone else is entertained, it’s a bonus.