That being said, I've been waiting for this day for what feels like all year. The symbolic big clean slate associated with the turning of a year is important to me this year in particular, where it has not been in other years. If I had to guess why, I'd say it's because I spent the majority of 2018 operating from a reactionary position, which is not personally desirable, and struggling to keep my head above water and my house intact. As my friend Gladys said, it felt like one long Tuesday and shit I hate Tuesdays. I learned a lot and grew a lot - a lot a lot - and I don't grow in easy, halcyon days. I grow in the trenches. That’s what kind of year it was. And while it was certainly not the worst year - no year in which I learn and grow so much can be classified as worst, plus I experienced a lot of beauty, fun, time with loved ones, great books, new friends, a challenging in a good way year at work, a new dog, good health, generosity, and support - it was also not my favorite. The lessons were necessary, hard, and took up a lot of space. I’m grateful for them and happy to be finished with that class for now. Today I feel like a graduate staring down a long stretch of open road, inhaling air that tastes like freedom and possibility. I’m not remotely sad to move on with intentions.
What's the plan for 2019? Be happy, be solvent, consume less resources and things, work for a better world, and mind my energy. If I had to boil it down to a phrase it might be consume less, be more.
I'll write about those things of course, that's what this space is for. I've been thinking a lot about consumption and fast fashion and what I own versus what I actually use. I also promised some posts about why it is important to get involved in local politics and how you might best do that if you want the backdrop of your every day life to reflect a country that involves equity and equality for all people, along with some of the things that must change in order for real people like you and me to be represented in government. This is not a presidential election year or a general election year but that does not mean it's not an important election year. Every year is important, every elected position is important. The dumpster fire of this administration makes it hard to look it in the face every day but you can’t turn away. I won't. You shouldn't either.
I'm also stretching my writing muscles - there will be more tech writing (like this travel post I wrote Friday or the reading raft post from the other week); more highlighting of monthly contributions I make and value to things like Real Justice PAC, Rosa's Pizza to feed the homeless, Ronald McDonald House Philly for families of seriously ill children, Patreon accounts of women of color who are doing a lot of work to set white supremacy and patriarchy on fire, and Building the North Star. It's good exercise for my mind to get back to short article writing that relies more on information and research and less on emotion and opinion, which helps with some off-the-blog writing I'm planning this year. I hope you enjoy the more article-ish, informative posts but if not, try back the next day. I will write more in general this year as well and try fiction writing which I haven't done in a while, but I don't know if any of that will appear on this blog.
Of course TWTW and Thursday Thoughts will remain staples, Show Us Your Books the second Tuesday of every month, real life/honesty/no sugar coating all the time because you know how I roll...Shit MFD Said will probably make a comeback but I am out of practice writing them down since we spent so little time together last year. I might even share recipes again. I might also have said that last year and never delivered but there's hope.
Thank you for spending another year with me in this space. If you'd like to see me write about anything in particular, I'm your Huckleberry. Leave a comment below or send me an email to lifeaccordingtosteph@gmail.com.
Don't leave 2018 without extrapolating all of its lessons so you are in the best possible position to act on your intentions in 2019. And if possible don't leave without making a charitable contribution to a group or cause that will benefit from it - I like to leave the year with a piece of the best part of myself behind in the form of generosity. Some years it's big, some years small, but it's something every year on 12/31.
Cheers to clean slates and living with intention.
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