It's actually been less than a year since I last posted, so that's not so bad. I miss blogging being a thing like I miss having a tv channel that shows music videos. 2017 for me was a year of organizing (the political kind) and I went hard for about 9 months and then crashed. I was part of a successful campaign to pass a new ordinance on police accountability and transparency that goes into effect today, and a successful city council campaign to elect Nirva Lafortune. Two good things in a year of loss.
A friend suggested reflecting on 2017 by listing one good thing from each month, and here are mine:
Jan-was an adult observer when 1000 local high school students walked out of class to the statehouse to protest the inauguration (absolute highlight of my year). If you watch the video in the link, there is a moment when a couple hundred students standing around by the statehouse see hundred more students marching up the street in front of the mall, realize how big the protest is going to be, and start running to meet them-all the adults were crying.
http://www.rifuture.org/student-walk-out-trump/
Feb-went to a blur of emergency meetings, met a lot of people
March-walked into a dive bar with my daughter, walked out with a date
April-hung out with a new mom friend like I remember my mom doing (taking the kids to IHOP on Saturday night)
May-went with LB to a very raucous city council meeting where we got a first yes vote on a new police accountability ordinance
http://www.rifuture.org/csa-turnout-city-hall/
June-went to Chicago for my diss advisors retirement
July-a week in Maine where junie ran wild with the island children
Aug-door knocked for our city council race, and Nirva Lafortune won by a lot!
http://www.electnirva.com/
And 1st grade (terrible pic but look at those shoes!)
Sept-family camping, on of my favorite things LB and I do all year
Oct-klezmer and marching brass band Halloween parade
Nov-my girl turned 7 and had a party she loved, and I went to the Day of Mourning in Plymouth for the first time
Dec-a whole month with our beautiful Christmas tree
New Years Deep Freeze in Maine
A friend was just blogging about intentions vs resolutions for New Years, and I like the improvisation involved in having a theme for the year that I then have to figure out how to live. I think my theme for this year needs to be health. Sitting at work/sitting in all those meetings/eating random potluck offerings/busing and ubering from one location to the next/on the computer all the time, all those things have been unkind to my body and sometimes my spirt. I'm lying in bed typing and my head hurts and my shoulders hurt and my back hurts. I've noticed that my balance has gotten so much worse this year, and I get up from the floor like an old person. I'm very lucky to be in good physical health, but I need to invest in what I've got instead of squandering it.