Reflection

The end of the Gregorian year is nigh.

So we take a moment to reflect on 2005.

For me, 2005 has been an interesting year.

I passed through my first year of homeownership. I found the first year to be filled with paying bills and receiving reports that the house was still standing. First year home ownership was partly filled with correcting a gas problem long distance and arranging for friends and family from out of town to get a key in order to spend the night as they passed through Portland.

I got a chance to live on an island in the Pacific for almost the entire year. From this I got to experience a completely different kind of lifestyle. My skin turned a little darker (go ahead and guffah, but the parts that never wiggled themselves out in the sunlight are much lighter than those that did). I got the chance to hear about things I've never heard about here on the mainland (Pearl Harbour is not a daily topic and I still have yet to hear mention of the Akaka Bill here). I learned some new words and new foods. I got a chance to lay on some of the finest beaches in the world and even swam a little in the ocean. I got the chance to have friends and family experience a place they may never have gotten the place to experience otherwise. I've worked on a bigger project and harder than I think I ever had before. I think I have learned some humility.

I got a chance to add new stamps to my fairly recent, but dusty passport.

I've met some very good people via this very blog here. I have (and am) glad to have had them impact my life in some way (my "world theory" everyone you come in contact with leaves some part...even very small...with you; and you in turn give up some part of yourself) . Some no longer write, but there is no problem with that. There can be pressure to "produce" something and (in my world) to each their own.

I may have pushed myself a little too hard this past year and I think I developed some form of Island Fever. I thank everyone who has been patient in dealing with me being out of sorts in various ways for quite some time. I slowly feel a return toward my rascally irreverent self.

I wish everyone who may read this, who may stumble across this, or who may feel the need to "pitch" me something; Good New Year!

This past year has changed me, in some ways for the better, in some ways for the worse; but life is fluid.....................hope to hear from y'all this next year..........and I am looking forward to the sun getting up later than 7:30 and going to sleep later than 4:30...........