Sunday, December 31, 2017

Another Year Ahead

I don't do a big celebration on New Year's Eve any more. When I was younger, yes. I went out, went clubbing (though we didn't call it that), went to parties, sometimes drank too much, sometimes not. Music, dancing, friends and strangers, fun.

Then it became smaller gatherings, much less drinking (there's a story in how that came about, something about a van and my partner's purse, which I will write someday), a lot more staying home.

For the past several years I am often working on New Year's Eve and it's fun. At my part-time job it can be fun and those of us working past midnight take a little break to acknowledge and toast the change of numbers (with sparkling cider because, duh, we're at work - really, it is sparkling cider).

This New Year's Eve I am working. Looking forward to it. It will be the usual night crew and we'll have fun. We have snacks and a couple of us are going to order pizza since our lunch/dinner breaks are around the same time.

And my writing. I am writing. I just posted my final story in the Winter Intensive online workshop with Ariel Gore last night. I still have to do feedback for three other writers' stories, then that one wraps up. (After I copy all of the feedback on my pieces.)

Next week I start with the Winter Manuscript class with Ariel. I volunteered to be in the first group, so I have to get 10,000 words of the memoir ready to post by the 7th. They're almost ready, but not quite. With the holidays and the Winter Intensive workshop, and being down with the crud for two days, I lost momentum on the manuscript excerpt preparation. But I still have a week left with a few good chunks of time for writing within that week. In March/April I get to do the spring seasonal workshop at Corporeal Writing with Lidia Yuknavitch.

NaNo17 Coast Retreat, Oceanside OR
And. Yes. The end of 2017. It's been a rough year on many fronts. Many frustrations and outrages (due to outrageous events), many changes (some for the good in my personal life and others not so good in the bigger picture).

While I am happy to see the backside of 2017, for many reasons on a larger, national and international scale, 2018 doesn't look any better.

On a local and personal level, 2018 looks spectacular. I am writing more and this project may actually come to completion. This year? I don't know; but that would be nice. The second half of the theatre seasons (and the beginning of a new one for Profile Theatre) have awesome productions ahead and I am looking forward to those.

I have no profound words and I don't write New Year Resolutions. I make decisions and "resolutions" throughout the year and see no need to do it only this one time, so I don't.  I do hope that 2018 is a better year, even though I know there are so many challenges for so many of us still out there, so much left to defend and be vigilant. I hope that we can support and honor each other and keep that vigilance on our communities and the people, places, beings who are important. We are important.

Be strong. Be safe. Enjoy however it makes sense to you to usher 2017 out the door and welcome 2018. Keep writing and making art and dancing, creating in your own unique way.