Today I rode my bike in shorts and a short-sleeved jersey. Tomorrow we celebrate Christmas here at the house--early because Monday, we fly to Florida for our first family reunion since well before the pandemic started. We return the following Monday and the next morning I start my new job.
In the last three months, I lost my job, lost my gallbladder, my car got hit by a drunk driver in a hit-and-run, I got a new job. The job loss led to a lot of self-discovery, the gallbladder surgery led to a lot of gratitude for what health I have retained, and significant dietary changes, which in turn led to a decent amount of weight loss. The car accident led to a lot of learning about forgiveness. The new job will lead to many things, but it's presenting taking up a lot of mental cycles thinking about how to prepare for both the job and for how to maintain my health as my time constraints increase substantially.
In the last three months, I lost my job, lost my gallbladder, my car got hit by a drunk driver in a hit-and-run, I got a new job. The job loss led to a lot of self-discovery, the gallbladder surgery led to a lot of gratitude for what health I have retained, and significant dietary changes, which in turn led to a decent amount of weight loss. The car accident led to a lot of learning about forgiveness. The new job will lead to many things, but it's presenting taking up a lot of mental cycles thinking about how to prepare for both the job and for how to maintain my health as my time constraints increase substantially.
I was doing nothing since before you were even born. I'm still doing nothing, but I'm doing it better than ever before.
-- Owen, Headphoned
Here's to new sights, new tastes, new lines on my face.
(same)
I've spent this last week of freedom riding my bike again (post-mandatory-surgery-convalescing) and frantically getting personal tasks off my to-do list.
Somewhere in all of this, I lost my writing habit. I hope to find it again soon. I did a "2021 Year in Review" via Ness Labs this last Wednesday and while it showed me what I mostly already knew, it was still informative. 2021 was another year of failing to achieve the modest creative goals I set out. But it was a year of improved health. Just today I exceeded 2020's bike mileage, which was a year when I was able to ride more than I had since 2012 (still not beating that year's record) (largely thanks to a lack of children's activities and work commute time).
Once again I found employment before I finished the work to discover what I really want to be when I grow up. But at 46 it might be time to admit that I am grown up, and I have a (new, bigger) mortgage, two kids in elementary school, a third starting college next fall. Every day I try to do what the universe asks of me and to simply enjoy the ride.