I’m not sure if I’ve written about this here, but in August of last year I quit Facebook. It’s been one of the best mental health decisions I’ve made, but it means that I am completely out of touch with social media trends. (I was never able to commit to Twitter, Instagram is way too visual, and at the end of the day, (every day, really), I feel fine about not having these distractions in my life.) As if proving my point, I’m apparently “missing” people posting “decade in review” videos and lists all over the socials.
It occurs to me, with this blog, I get to have it both ways: I can post my decade in review list without having to read anyone else’s. Score! No, I kid, in fact, I’d love to hear your decades in review in the comments, if you’re so moved!
The tens were a great decade for me. The tens were not a great decade for me. Both statements are true. One of the things that eventually drove me off Facebook was the curation of people’s lives: everything polished and-or adorably messy. With that in mind, here are some highlights from my decade, with as little sheen as possible, messy or otherwise:
• Apartments lived in: 4
• Cats petted: as many as I could, but always never enough
• student loans paid off: 0
• credit cards paid off: 1!
• 1st dates: a lot, like, a lot
• People I met on first dates who are now my friends: almost everyone I consider the best people I know
• recorders acquired: I swear this number was supposed to be four, two bought and two borrowed, but while digging through my music bag last week I found two altos and a soprano that I can only assume simply showed up on their own.
• people lost: 2 grandparents, 3 friends. I miss them every day.
• dogs: 1. Longest relationship I’ve had, human’s best friend, etc. Kiva to whom everything is food. My little spoon. Doggiest dog of my heart.
• number of times someone has asked me: “How does your dog know which bus is coming?”, “What’s your dog’s name?”, “How old is your dog?”, “How does your dog read traffic lights?”: To infinity and. Still worth it for the dog, but if I charged for these questions, I could pay off those loans in a month.
• Therapists: 4
• Times went to the dentist: 1, and it wasn’t as bad as I feared, and also I has healthcare now
• times I thought my apartment(s) were haunted: 3
• baby rabbits I held in my hand: 2
• Education: 1 degree and 3 professional certificates
• people I called 911 for and waited for help with: 1
• Restlessness, on a scale of 1 to 10: 8
• book clubs joined: Also 8. OK, that’s a weirdly large number.
• Saddest I was: the last four months of 2016
• Happiest I was: the last five months of 2017. And any time my work, life, exercise, hobbies, learning, and friends balance is right. It’s rare but worth it.
Now seriously, tell me things about your decade. They don’t have to be inspiring or grand. In fact, it’s better if they’re not.
Blind inFlight 