I found my old post from 2005 and think it's time I did a similar exercise for 2012
Big Events
- Hurricane Sandy hit the northeast and shook her upside down. Our house was thankfully dry and warm throughout the experience. We were happy we could host friends. We're grateful that my parents house was unscathed by the tall tree that fell across their front walk.
- For us, we did some home renovations with floors that turned us upside down. If there's a lesson in that experience it's that you can only control so much of a situation and at one point you have to let it go. It's just high on my list of memorable events because it was emotionally and physically taxing experience in our home. However, there are more positives than negatives on this one.
Travel
- Madrid, Espana - Nov
- Toronto, Canada - January, June, July
- Mid-Atlantic Tour (Baltimore Inner Harbor, Annapolis waterfront, Virginia wineries and DC) July.
- New York City Getaway - May
Births
- Aayushman J.
- Kiaan K.
- Kush D.
- Kush D.
Deaths
The New York Times has a pictorial of notable deaths of 2012. I see personal heroes such as Sally Ride, Ravi Shankar, Nora Ephron and Dick Clark. There's Maeve Binchy, an Irish fiction novelist whose stories I adored so she'll be alive with her wonderful Irish accent to me.
There are other deaths this year that will stay with me:
Trevon Martin - 1
Aurora Colorado Movie Theater - 12
Sikh Temple in Wisconsin - 7
Clackamas Oregon Mall - 3
Sandhook Elementary School - 27
Anonymous Delhi Medical Student - 1
The one name I'm thankful is not on this list is Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani girl shot by Taliban for advocating education for girls.
Creative Achievements
My biggest achievement this year is getting a foothold on my art again. With my instructor's constant encouragement, I challenged myself with watercolor and acrylic paintings, one of which I created as a gift. 2012 was getting my feet wet. Next year I'm jumping in because I know I can do it.
Auld Lang Whine
Lessons Learned
It's been a tumultuous year with the loss of a number of colleagues at work. We're calling this the "mass exodus of 2012" as some left voluntarily and others involuntarily. It's left a gap in our teams and just the way we all work together. We miss exchanging ideas, getting another perspective or just a confidence boost before a meeting. I know those who are good friends as well as colleagues will stay in touch, especially via social media. The others have left and just become another name in the corporate history.
Lessons Learned
Hard to say if there's any one lesson from this year,but the mantra that's been holding me together is to change what you can control and accept what you can't.
This is hammered into me at work on the career front. I still have anger at the decision makers for the lack-luster-illogical choices that were made this year. I'm exhausted with the large corporations (no, Mitt Romney, corporations are not people. If they were, they would think and feel about each other.). I can't change corporate culture and nor will I accept it the way. All I can change is whether I choose to live in this. No, I'm not walking out blindly.
New year, new changes.
This is hammered into me at work on the career front. I still have anger at the decision makers for the lack-luster-illogical choices that were made this year. I'm exhausted with the large corporations (no, Mitt Romney, corporations are not people. If they were, they would think and feel about each other.). I can't change corporate culture and nor will I accept it the way. All I can change is whether I choose to live in this. No, I'm not walking out blindly.
New year, new changes.
