Hold me to it

Happy New Year, everyone!I haven't written for a really long time and I'm a bit late for the obligatory reflect on the past year/ make resolutions for the new year post, but then sometimes life gets in the way of blogging.2008 was, as usual, a year of major changes, a year whose end I could never have predicted at the beginning. Some key words from the year: hula, geek, bacon, video, pinup, hospital, twitter, dates, burners, reunions, Asia, economy.Emotions ran the gamut, as did my finances. Well... That last's not strictly true; while my life was rich, my bank account really never was.Predictably, I started many projects, only some of which I finished satisfactorily. Others have been abandoned, are stalled out, or are in still in progress.I once again realized that I have many many friends and they're awesome. I depend on them to keep going, no matter how strong and independent I may appear. I also realized that I generally don't spend enough time with them. I developed new friends in new categories, most notably (re-)connecting with people through Facebook and Twitter (on which I became quite hooked).I spent a good amount of time thinking about the Big Questions and didn't come up with any Answers but do have a few Theories To Test and Experiments To Run which will be fun while I ponder.Resolutions? I make them all year, but I do enjoy the ritual of sharing with others at the start of the year, if only because then you all can hold me to them. And so, in no particular order, in 2009 I plan to:

• be a good friend
• take care of my body
• become conversationally fluent in Spanish
• return to outdoor climbing
• write consistently
• keep my bank account in the black
• give time to address causes that I consider important (i.e., work on changing the world, don't just talk about it)
• finish a personal creative project every month
• finish house projects
• stay present

So...hold me to it. Climb with me. Ask if I've finished painting my room. Hablas conmigo en Espanol. Ask to see my finished projects. And bug me if you haven't heard from me in a while.I hope that every one of you has a great year. It will be a struggle for many of us for any number of reasons, but I have a lot of hope that this is a year in which we realize the value and strength of our connections and focus on (re)building community. Together we have so much more strength and so many more skills than do any of us individually. Let's all keep that forefront in our minds as we dive in to 2009. I know I rely on you and I hope that you'll let me return the favor!