Looking Back, Looking Forth

Written by Tom Being Tom

Since I’m up earlier than most this seems like a good time to reflect upon the year. I’ll be brief.

It was awesome.

I could, I suppose, dwell upon the things that went wrong. My blog crashed. I was evacuated from my home. Two communities near me, including my own, were ravaged by fire. The Rams lost a game to the Eagles, again, just when they needed to cement an identity. The bozo in the White House continues to make a mockery of the office. I ripped my pants down the ass at work. True story.

But I’m not one to focus on the negative. Always plenty of time for that. Bad things happen.

Good things happen, too. I made a lot of new friends, in the electronic world and in the flesh. I resurrected the blog and only lost 230 or so archived posts. Which, when you think about it, means you can’t say for certain if this isn’t just a rewrite of one of them before, because the evidence – like a Hillary email – has been erased. Everything old is new again.

And those fires, though deadly, pulled a community together. My house was spared, and so was my family. I got to spend a fun week at a sleepover with a friend. When I was young that was called “vacation.” The fires, too, seemed to scare my landlord into putting the house up for grabs, and I was lucky enough to grab it. Now I have a permanent home and less money to carry around every month. Winning.

And the Rams? They are 12-3 and will, most likely, secure the second seed in the NFC and get a first-round bye. That’s a pretty cool season, no matter what happens next.

2018 was a miracle. I didn’t write that novel, no, but I did decide I don’t want to and knowing is half the battle. I also didn’t read the 20 books I said I would, but 9 is pretty close to 20 when you think about the infinite number of numbers there are. I think next year I’ll plan to read 182 books so that when I only read 21 it’ll feel like a pretty good fail. I guess that’s the secret of life, right there. Reach for the furthest star so that if you only get the nearest one at least you still have a star. Or maybe the lesson is be happy with what you’ve got and you won’t be so upset about what ya ain’t.

So I guess this gets us to the point of the blog where I set up my aspirations and resolutions for 2019. We’ll stick to what I can personally control so it doesn’t get all diatribe-y and ridiculous. Consequently, I’ll leave out the word #impeach. See, I didn’t mention it once.

For me, then, I guess my aspirations are such: more of the same. Be healthy, be centered, be cheerful and friendly and make great relationships with new folks while maintaining the great relationships with the folks (and dogs) I’ve got. I can’t think of anything new I need right now. That’s a pretty good place to be. Sure, I’d like the Rams to win the Super Bowl and my wife wants a new puppy but I can’t control what the Rams or my wife does so I’ll leave that stuff up to them. I’ll just be Tom. That’s what I’m used to being.

For you folks, I hope this time finds you healthy, centered, cheerful and friendly, too, and I hope you’re spending these days with great folks and great pets and a really great you. May all your dreams come true. I’m pulling for you in 2019.

Now go have a Merry Christmas. You’ve earned it.

29 thoughts on “Looking Back, Looking Forth”

  6. I have been looking forward to this post!!!!! Thank you for being wise and wonderful and caring ….and Tom!!! Happy Stephens Day(Ireland)/Boxing Day(UK) and belated Christmas, and of course New Year! I can’t wait to read all you have write in 2019! Love to you and the Mrs. and the boys!!!

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    1. Thank you, Susan! Gosh, I hope your Christmas (Stephens/Boxing) was fantastic and that you’re ready for the new challenges (and rewards!) ahead. We made it through – no, strike that – we THRIVED in 2018, and the best is yet to come! ❤️❤️❤️

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  8. Merry Christmas and Happy 2019, it can only get better from here. I admire your optimism as there is always hope. if there were no downs the ups wouldn’t be half as fun. may the next year bring you all the things you wish for (aside from the unmentionable words), I am just going to use Voldemort instead!

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  9. “I didn’t write that novel, no, but I did decide I don’t want to and knowing is half the battle.”

    How astute!

    “Knowing what you’ve got
    knowing what you need
    knowing what you can do without
    That’s inventory control.”
    Revolutionary Road

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      1. Revolutionary Road is a book-to-film set in the fifties about a couple coming to terms with life not matching the dreams of their youth. I don’t recommend the film unless you were in the mood for family drama—come to think of it, I don’t recommend it at all. But it did bring up the useful notion of inventory control. If life doesn’t match up to your dreams do you ditch the life, the dreams, both or the comparison between them? Being happy requires jettisoning the right things at the right time without being careless.

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      2. The catch then is recognizing the right things and the right times, eh? Sometimes it’s better to run late than early. I’d like to think I’m right on time this time. I’ll let ya know!

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    1. Thank you, Bill! I’m way behind on everything right now because the new year has brought in new challenges, but so far so good. I will admit I’ve been walking around with a bit of a chip on my shoulder, though, so I need me a quick attitude adjustment. It’s important to remain humble even when things are going well, eh? 😊

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  11. ‘I’ll be brief. It was awesome’. So very Tom Being Tom 🙂
    I do focus on the negative, but if I didn’t, then I wouldn’t have any blog fodder and little incentive to actively find humour when there seems little to be found 😉 So easy to take the good stuff for granted, rather than purposefully acknowledging it. You do that so well, and remind us all to be grateful. Pulling for you and yours in 2019 too 🙂

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    Reply

    1. Thank you, Echo! Yeah, my lack of negative fodder is affecting my will to write, right now, so I’ll write something unbelievably positive again next week. Or the week after. Maybe I’ll write about procrastination some day. 😉

      Happy 2019 to you and yours, too! ❤️

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