Monday, December 29, 2008

2008 - Good riddance

It is so close, I can almost taste it. The last day of the worst year of my life. I don't think I have ever looked forward to a new year more than I am this year. If I could start over, and it were the beginning of 2008, there are some things I would have done differently. Some people I would never have wasted my time on. Some goals I would have tried a little harder to achieve. I would have dedicated less time to things that provided immediate gratification and more time on things that were better for me in the long term.

Happiness is not that hard to achieve when you think in simpler terms. Too bad it took a whole year for me to realize that. I have been selfish at times. I have given too much of myself at others. There has to be a happy medium. It's not an easy place to find, but I am on my way.

In 2008 we've lost some notable people - Paul Newman, Bettie Page, Eartha Kitt, Charlton Heston, George Carlin, Michael Crichton, Isaac Hayes, Bernie Mac, Estelle Getty, Bo Diddly, Harvey Korman, Albert Hofmann (discovered LSD), Heath Ledger, and many many more. Some of these people left pretty early in life. And some - well let's face it- I was surprised to hear they weren't already dead. Meh. The circle of life and all that jazz.

It was a year of things we will be telling our grandchildren about. Fidel Castro resigned. Gas rose to over $4 a gallon. We had a historical election. My 401k took a swift kick to the balls. Someone threw his shoes at our president.

What has been done can not be undone. Time to move on. Adapt and overcome. Forget about the past and look forward to the future.

Good riddance 2008, bring on 2009. What surprises am I in store for next? I am giddy with anticipation - sort of.

OK. Not really.