2013, Rest In Pieces

I'm not under the illusion that there's some mystic force separating  one year from the next. Years only exist because humanity feels a need to measure and label things. So in reality, today is just the day after yesterday, and the fact that the year changed probably doesn't actually mean a damn thing.

However, as a member of humanity who has grown up in a culture observing the passing of these years, I still mentally divide time up that way, so I do see a new portion of measured time in front of me. And, I really, really hope it's a better one than the last twelve months have been.

Sure, there were a few high spots - if it were all dismal, I might not have survived.

The highest of the high spots was spending Father's Day with my Dad. We started talking about it and realized that once I left for the Navy, and then wound up in Texas afterward, he and I had never been together on Father's Day again. So, this was the first time since 1987. Plus, I got to spend it with both of my own kids, and consequently, he was with two of his grandchildren.

Another high spot was being invited to be a part time (and mostly unpaid) writer for the websites YouMotorcycle and BikerMetric. I've kind of always wanted to write about bikes, so this is way cool. Thanks, Adrian.

However, the other major plot points of 2013:

• I lost my job of fifteen years. I didn't love it every day, but I did love the time I had there, and I truly thought I'd work for Barnes & Noble until I retired or died.
• I lost my significant other. One more relationship ended.
• I got what I thought would be a dream job, only to discover that sometimes working at your hobby can turn what was once your passion into a chore.
• My ex moved back to Atlanta, taking Baby Girl with her, and putting me in the position of having to choose which child to live near. That was the hardest decision I've ever had to make, and sometimes I still feel like I'm reeling from it.
• Two deaths that hit close to home. A three year old child of close friends, and also a close friend/brother.
• I'd made progress in paying off credit debt, but lost ground on that due to the financial problems of being under- and un-employed most of the year.

So, while I've celebrated the coming of the New Year annually for many years, this is the first time that I really felt like I was celebrating the death of the old year.

2013, GTFO

Here's to 2014: may it better for me, and a good year for all of you.