2008 in review

1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?

Lost my job. Received acupuncture treatments. Took courses in Touch for Health. Played Scrabble online. Worked in retail. A couple of other things I’ll keep to myself, thanksverymuch! :)

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

I had goals more than resolutions, and I’ve made progress in many of those areas.
My goal is to succeed in my new program and to try to maintain balance in my life as much as possible and to try to burn through as little of my savings as possible.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Yes, my friends Isabelle and Ryan welcomed their second daughter, Noemie.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

No.

5. What countries did you visit?

The U.S. to visit my brother, sister-in-law, and the most beautiful niece and nephew there ever were.

6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?

More energy.

7. What dates from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

November 4th 2008, when Americans elected Barack Obama and hopefully set the world free from the idiocy of the Bush administration.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Finding the courage to pursue a new career.

9. What was your biggest failure?

I don't want to answer this question, frankly (though trust me that I am honest with myself about this subject), so I will substitute another question:

9a. What surprised you about this year?

Having poetry in my life again, especially the writings of Mary Oliver.
Who has actually been there for me, and who has not.
Being passive-aggressively written off by a friend who won't even tell me what I did to offend her. I really thought she was more mature and our friendship stronger than that.
How quickly life can change.
How little some people think ahead or question their own motives.
How deep and introspective some people can be.
Magic in my own life.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Yes.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Tickets to visit my niece and nephew; books; my biochem course.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

Barack Obama. He raised the bar in campaign behaviour and set an example for us time and time again with his all-around decency.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Sarah Palin and John McCain. Stephen Harper and Stephane Dion. The latter was especially disappointing in how he absolutely could not rise to the occasion when the country desperately needed him to do so.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent, food, books, courses.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The possibility of helping other people through alternative/integrative medicine. Growing as a person and developing my potential as a human being.

16. What song will always remind you of 2008?

Love You Anyway by Boyzone. Some of those lyrics really tickle me.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

a) happier or sadder? Happier, because I am feeling better physically and emotionally
b) thinner or fatter? Thinner
c) richer or poorer? Well, I’m about to become a full-time student, so …

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Spend time outside.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Faffed around on the computer … like I’m doing now. :)

20. How did you spend Christmas?

I hosted a potluck for thirteen other people. It was great.
My family’s Christmas was on the 21st, and that was truly lovely as well.

21. Did you fall in love in 2008?

Nope.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

I didn’t watch much TV at all.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No. Hate destroys the hater.

24. What was the best book you read?

“The Shock Doctrine” by Naomi Klein.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

Bodega, Emily Smith, 6 Day Riot. Hmm ... all Celtic music, even though I listen to other genres and each of these are quite different from the other. (Bodega is cool in that they are very young and yet accomplished musicians who have integrated other genres into their traditional music; 6 Day Riot is more alternative than traditional.)

26. What did you want and get?

A new, clear direction for my life.

27. What did you want and not get?

A better ending to my old job. Oh well, in the end it was probably better this way.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Quantum of Solace. Though to be fair, I saw very few movies this past year.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I threw myself a house party and had over thirty people over. I turned 38.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

True love. Well, there's always this year ... ;->

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?

I-Now-Have-a-Clothing-Discount-but-Work-in-an-Overheated-Store.

32. What kept you sane?

FRIENDS, meditation, Touch for Health, Facebook

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

Daniel Craig. Rrrroooowwwwwwlllllll ….

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Snatching democracy back from the hands of Republicans in the U.S. They did it!!!

35. Who did you miss?

Lorelai and Reece, Wendy

36. Who was the best new person you met?

Maggie, Vivian, Joyce, Jo, to name a few. I am exceedingly lucky to find kindred spirits in every nook and cranny of my life. It's quite extraordinary. Distance and age are completely, totally irrelevant, and often the connection is immediate.

Welcome re-introductions into my life include Leslie-Ann and Pete - two lovely blasts from the past! :)

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008.

Trust the Universe. Trust that someone WILL be there to help when you need it, though it may be entirely different from whom you were expecting/hoping it to be.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

This isn’t a song lyric, but a poem by Mary Oliver:

The Uses of Sorrow

Someone I loved once gave me
a box full of darkness.

It took me years to understand
that this, too, was a gift.