A Toast to 2012

It’s Sunday morning and the house is still quiet.  My feet are cold as I sit here on the couch, contemplating the past year and all the changes it heaped into my lap.  A different dog just ran through the living room than the one who ran through here last year.  I am back down to one part-time job thanks to being fired from my radio job.  Money is tight. And my jaw is sore from a root canal. On paper, I have every right to think 2012 has been a crummy year.

But it has been a fantastic year.

Why?  To begin with, I resolved to lose weight last year — and did.  Three hundred and sixty-five days later, I’m 50 pounds lighter.  I’d say that was a major success, wouldn’t you?  And while I lost the radio job, the feedback I’ve received over the past month (and word of  how strong my ratings were) prove to me that I built a great audience. People miss the show — I hear it everyday. I know that what could be called a “defeat” will open up different, better doors.  And I’m not sad in the least. I’m honestly grateful for the experience. I learned so much and met so many great people. And besides, radio was fun. I’ll be back. Trust me.  Also new opportunities are on the horizon that could take me back to a place that I’ve loved since childhood — at least on a part-time basis.  My editorial cartoons are still around — no minor accomplishment these days.  Yes, and then there is Fried Chicken & Wine. This time last year I would have never dreamed I would be a successful author. While I lost my buddy Banjo, his spirit lives on every time I sell a copy.

Pip just jumped up on the couch. The little brown fur ball has filled a sizable gap in my heart. A good dog will do that.

2012 was a year that turned iron into steel.  It focused me and made me realize that what I’m doing right –and what I need to change.  It taught me that that change isn’t bad, it’s just change. It’s how you approach it that determines whether or not there is opportunity within it.  This past year cemented my believe that it isn’t what happens to you. It’s how you react to it.

The Mayans were wrong (of course). 2012 wasn’t the end of the world. Just the beginning of a better one.

So here’s a toast to 2012. It was my best year ever. And while we’re at it, here’s to 2013. May we make it our best year yet.