Back to the Future
My flight yesterday morning from Inverness to Belfast City was delayed, so sitting in the airport with a steaming hot cup of coffee, I thought it was a good opportunity for me to to reflect back on what's happened in my life in 2008, and look forward to what 2009 might hold.
In 2008, I travelled. Within Ireland, I visited Galway, Cork, and Wexford. I took a weekend trip up to Belfast, which my virtue of my flight yesterday became my first port of call in the new year.
My international roster included San Francisco, San Jose, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rhodes (where I was involved in breaking a world record), and Zurich. Closer to home, I spent a delightful weekend in Skye, and had the pleasure of resting my bones awhile with my sister in my old stomping ground of Edinburgh.
I became an uncle to the most delightful, curious, enchanting and contented nephew a person could wish to have. I saw my sister become the great mother that I knew she would be, and have watched with pride and awe as she and her fiancé David give their son the best possible start in life a child could ask for: love, security, attention, and trendy kiddy clothes.
I got promoted. Twice in fact. And so superficially I'm doing well, and although I'm still sometimes not entirely sure what my job entails exactly, at least I'm getting paid reasonably well to do it. I'm lacking something though, and I'm not sure what it is. I don't feel as fulfilled as I think a person should feel about the the activity at which they spend the better part of their waking hours.
I fell in love. I got hurt. I fell out of love again. I spent many sleepless nights with my mind filled with thoughts I hoped sleep would allow me to escape from. I ended up questioning myself and my judgements about people. I learned about myself, and what I want from a relationship. I often find myself feeling lonely for not having met somebody to be with, but I am happier being by myself than being in a relationship just for the sake of companionship or because, as a 27 year old guy with moderate good looks and a decent job, I should have settled down by now.
So what's on the cards for 2009? I'm going to paint. I'm going to learn to ride a motorbike. I'm going to listen to my heart more and to my head less. I'm going to write. I'm going to draw. I'm going to cook french onion soup. I'm going to take courses in biology and sign-language. I'm going to be better at keeping in touch with friends, and renew contact with friends now lost where I feel the embers of friendship remain softly aglow in our hearths and in our hearts. I'm going to hug people, and give my friendship unconditionally. I'm going to laugh every day. If I'm moved to crying, I will cry. If I feel like shouting, I will shout. I'm going to take risks. I'm going to get healthy, go to bed earlier, drink more water, and smile at everyone. I'm going to worry much less about what people think. Time spent worrying about what has happened, or what might happen, is time wasted. There is only me. There is only now, and I'm going to make the most of it.
In 2008, I travelled. Within Ireland, I visited Galway, Cork, and Wexford. I took a weekend trip up to Belfast, which my virtue of my flight yesterday became my first port of call in the new year.
My international roster included San Francisco, San Jose, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Rhodes (where I was involved in breaking a world record), and Zurich. Closer to home, I spent a delightful weekend in Skye, and had the pleasure of resting my bones awhile with my sister in my old stomping ground of Edinburgh.
I became an uncle to the most delightful, curious, enchanting and contented nephew a person could wish to have. I saw my sister become the great mother that I knew she would be, and have watched with pride and awe as she and her fiancé David give their son the best possible start in life a child could ask for: love, security, attention, and trendy kiddy clothes.
I got promoted. Twice in fact. And so superficially I'm doing well, and although I'm still sometimes not entirely sure what my job entails exactly, at least I'm getting paid reasonably well to do it. I'm lacking something though, and I'm not sure what it is. I don't feel as fulfilled as I think a person should feel about the the activity at which they spend the better part of their waking hours.
I fell in love. I got hurt. I fell out of love again. I spent many sleepless nights with my mind filled with thoughts I hoped sleep would allow me to escape from. I ended up questioning myself and my judgements about people. I learned about myself, and what I want from a relationship. I often find myself feeling lonely for not having met somebody to be with, but I am happier being by myself than being in a relationship just for the sake of companionship or because, as a 27 year old guy with moderate good looks and a decent job, I should have settled down by now.
So what's on the cards for 2009? I'm going to paint. I'm going to learn to ride a motorbike. I'm going to listen to my heart more and to my head less. I'm going to write. I'm going to draw. I'm going to cook french onion soup. I'm going to take courses in biology and sign-language. I'm going to be better at keeping in touch with friends, and renew contact with friends now lost where I feel the embers of friendship remain softly aglow in our hearths and in our hearts. I'm going to hug people, and give my friendship unconditionally. I'm going to laugh every day. If I'm moved to crying, I will cry. If I feel like shouting, I will shout. I'm going to take risks. I'm going to get healthy, go to bed earlier, drink more water, and smile at everyone. I'm going to worry much less about what people think. Time spent worrying about what has happened, or what might happen, is time wasted. There is only me. There is only now, and I'm going to make the most of it.