In the big picture, the global economy regained some stability but remained shaky. The citizenry continues to be polarized. As the picture comes closer to home, the local culture has stayed reasonably vibrant and comfortable. So let’s take it down to a personal level.
I’m generally glad to see a new year or even a school year begin because it promises to shake out, even a little bit, some doldrums. But I’m particularly hopeful for 2011. As one of my Facebook friends posted a 99% status bar image captioned “uninstalling 2010…”, I feel kind of happy to brush off this past year and move on.
One of the notable milestones that was to get underway right out of the gate (i.e. January) was the phase-out of the Event-O-Rama, one of my most visible achievements of the decade. 21st century – that sounds better. I had less-than-secretly wanted to hand over the reigns to someone for a good while and the opportunity finally came. Doing so cemented a good relationship with Smitty who I had worked with all that time. He got me nominated for the ECHO award over it, which I won, and also had a Clark Harper Day proclaimed providing much fun during the year.
This year was transitional in my work. The Web Center had been created – perhaps a toxic combination of marketing and IT people—and I unconfidently moved over. All in all a good thing to have happened if it stays viable. But until the worse happens, I have to say it has been cushy work and given me to opportunity to do more that I like in the world of information technology that I ever had. DotNetNuke admittedly had my name written all over it.
But early on there, I would meet the personable Scott Cross in Marketing and Communications who would invite me to practice with and quickly join his garage band containing other wonderful folks and having been a great enhancement to this past year’s goings on. During our few gigs I continue to be painfully stage frightened but the weekly practice and camaraderie has made it all worth it. I should, but question whether I would, make this year’s resolution some kind of determined guitar practice effort so as to better my participation with the band.
I was almost kind of surprised in reviewing my journal that in January I was still decorating the house and the living room furniture was just then being delivered. Since then I have hosted book clubs, a West End Final Friday party and an Easter lunch. Yet it wasn’t until later in the year that the switch finally flipped from feeling awkward – or even regretful – for moving back into my family home to feeling like it was my home. I’ve done further work on the basement, patched up the chimney, painted the trim and landscaped a bit.
On the health side, the year would find me moving from the FMC fitness center and Glade Street YWCA (which closed during the year) to the Gateway Y. The hot summer seemed to take a toll on my fitness, but I recouped by adjusting my jogging pace and ran the 5K at the Virginia Film Festival this year that I had observed each year in the past. The plantar fasciitis subsided as promised (it really does take a long time) and I had a good checkup in April.
The Social Network was a 2010 hit and I turned out to be a late-adapter to Facebook this year as well. I can understand the phenomenon now. And instead of the fear that all our relationships are becoming “virtual” I think the opposite happens. My relationships are actually becoming more real. In 2010 Carol’s mom went from the little old lady up the street in her own apartment with the keys to her car to moving to my mom’s old digs at Heritage Woods and soon to more institutional care at Arbor Acres. Life comes at you fast even on the back end. Nathan has been battered by the recession way more than most and is launching out with his own enterprise. I’m helping them with the website and feel kind of stoked about it. He’ll do well. I had Thanksgiving dinner with Mrs. Osborne at the China Buffett, deliver the neighborhood association newsletter, help Carol train her new dog that she’s fostering for one of our friends with breast cancer and on and on and on. What’s so virtual about that?
Today is the tomorrow you were worrying about yesterday is the mantra I figured I should use for the new year. Bring it on.
