2009

. . . was a helluva year. God Almighty, what a year. A year of opposites, to be sure. Examples? Oh I got plenty.

There was quite a lot of fun. There was quite a lot of terror. QUITE a lot.

I laughed like a madman. I cried like a bitch.

I got to do things that I'd always wanted to do. I had to do things that I'd never wanted to do. Really.

I lost family - and through the loss, gained more family than I even know what to do with (in a good way!).

I got closer to some peeps. I fell out of touch with some peeps.

There were points where I liked the person I was. There were points where I didn't.

But at the end of the day (or year), I'm still standing. I've got my health, my sense of humor, my lovely lady, my homeboys, and (what's left of) my sanity.

One of the things I'm most excited about? I'm going to get published in a major anthology that is slated to be distributed widely in Barnes and Noble and Borders. I'm going to make a name for myself in a field dominated by fifty-plus-year-olds who've been at it since before I was even a glimmer in my mother's eye, and be successful. That sounds like a win to me.

So, in retrospect, as many have been saying, fuck 2009, but do it gently. While 2009 was a screaming terror ride through most of it, it taught me a LOT.

Seems like college is actually teaching me shit about life. Who'da thunk it.

Here I come 2010. Let's do it big.

Stay classy