A Brand New Year

The year 2012 is upon us, and as always it's a time of reflection.

I thought about posting some drunken revelry on New Year's Eve, something that would make you all laugh, but there were two problems with that. First, I wasn't drinking. Second, I wasn't reveling. I was having a wonderful evening with my wife, just enjoying her company as well as playing some video games and a Midnight kiss, of course. However, I wouldn't call it "reveling," as that implies a party, with lots of people around, confetti, champagne, and all that good stuff.

So no drunken revelry post from me. However, here it is January 2 and I'm sitting at the computer having just finished a book review and looking at the computer screen, and thinking. ("Uh oh, that's not a good sign" - The Peanut Gallery) Thinking about this blog, about blogging in general, about writing, and just thinking about what the new year is going to bring me. More importantly, thinking about what I'm going to bring to it.

I'm not a believer in New Year's resolutions (I share my friend Dawn's views on those), but I do believe that the turning of the year is a good time to reflect back on the year that's past and forward to the year that's coming (ok, that's not technically "reflecting," but never mind). The year 2011 was a really bad and stressful one for me, but it also had some good things as well. Work has been going very well, and the success of our podcast (maybe not in the number of listens, but in the buzz around the Faculty as well as the fact that it's something I've stuck with for a year now) has been very heartening for me. It's something that's beyond my comfort zone, and the fact that I am putting myself out there, not just my writing but my voice as well, is something that I'm very proud of. Now we just need to expand our listener base.

I've made some progress on my personal growth journey as well.

For example, I went to V-Con, the Vancouver science fiction convention. The last time I went, four years ago, I pretty much just went to panels and hid in a shell. I was absorbing stuff, watching stuff, but not participating. This year, it became the first step in bringing me out of my shell. I didn't go to as many panels, but instead I interacted with people there. I hung out in the gaming room and socialized with some of the gamers there. I actually stopped people who were in interesting costumes and asked to take their picture. That seems weird, but it's something that I would never have done before, despite the fact that I know one of the reasons people wear costumes to conventions is because they want to be photographed. I sat in the Hospitality Suite and talked to people. Yes, I went to the convention to have fun, so it wasn't just a "social experiment" for me. But I was determined that part of that fun would be actual interaction, and I think I accomplished that. Next year will be even better, I think.

This year, I plan to do more of that. I am enrolled in a short story course that starts in February. Again, there are two good things about that. First, it will get me writing again. The second thing is, again, social interaction. I look forward to interacting with my classmates, both with writing and other stuff as well. Will any of us come out of there as friends? Who knows. But I look forward to doing it, and maybe I'll have something written to share with some of you folks afterward.

I also plan on going to the Northern Voice social media conference again in May. Last year, I didn't socialize much, as my re-found determination to do so came afterward. This year, I'm going to take a bigger part in it. I'm not going to leave the Friday night party early like I did last year. I'm going to talk to people at the conference itself. I'm really looking forward to it. Even better, since it's professional development (I do social media work for my office), I don't have to pay for it! But even if I did, I would be going. I had a lot of fun last year, so hopefully it will be even better this year.

None of these are "New Year's Resolutions," though, because I decided I was going to do this a few months ago. But as I sit here on the cusp of the new year, thinking about the year to come and the plans I have for continuing this personal journey, I greet it with great anticipation.