Of Nurtured New Year (or Sappy Sentimentality) January 1, 2010
Posted by Jen in : Journal , trackbackI meant to write a blog post yesterday. You know the sort of thing: looking back on not just the past year, but the decade. A quarter of my life so far. Crumbs.
‘What happened to the blog post?’ I was asked last night.
‘Oh, I’ll just write it tomorrow instead,’ I replied, in a carefree Bucks Fizz kinda way. The cocktail, I mean. Not a Eurovision ripping-flimsy-skirts-off kinda way. ‘It’ll just be a different post, looking forward, not back.’
Ten years ago, I don’t think it occurred to me to look forward. I slept through midnight fireworks and began the new millennium walking along Jersey’s St Catherine’s breakwater as dawn broke, the lights in French houses flickering on behind somnolent fishing boats off the coast way, way in the distance. I remember thinking that there was another world, going on without me but that was fine. I looked at my husband; my two children, one excited and the other strapped into a buggy. I thought about that past year and about cooking a huge, extravagant roast later that day. And that was it. It never occurred to me for one moment that ten years on, I’d be living alone in a Sussex village with two teenagers. In fact, No. 2 son turned 16 last week. He’s a proper man, bursting with insatiable appetites for food and life and with a decent dose of sarcasm. Oh yes, I’ve trained him well. But I honestly never thought my life would be like this.
I didn’t know I’d see 2010 in with fireworks scattering over distant Brighton as I stood quietly at midnight with An Unassuming Artist. I never knew that a huge blue moon would hang obstinately in an opaque sky whiled I sipped early New Year tea. There are lots of things I didn’t know then. But now that I’m looking forward, I realise that I have no idea what will happen over the next decade. I like the way it’s started though. As I took down the 2009 calendar and hung up the new one I wondered… come the start of the next decade, how many of the amazing things in my life then will have begun in 2009? I’ve met wonderful people; made amazing new friends, dreamt new dreams and let new people into my heart. I’ve also rekindled love for the ‘old’ people in my life, which I didn’t expect. I’ve no idea how any of those things will pan out but I do know that I’ll always look back on 2009 with great joy. It just couldn’t quite make its mind up, though, could it?
I won’t bore you with my resolutions. I’m sure you know what they are. But I’m smiling and sending out those smiles bigly to you. There will be stories aplenty this year, that’s all I will say on the matter. Oh, yes indeed. In another 10 years, I’ll be 50. It’s time to get on with it now. All of it.
If I could have one wish, it would be that we all find, in 2010, the beginning of our individual Happily Ever Afters.
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Happy New Year honey. Meeting you was one of my bestest bits of last year x
Beautiful post. Happy New year.
lx
Happy New Year Jenny.
Lovely post. Made me go all goose pimply – or maybe its the cold i’ve got. But it was very moving.
You have a gorgeous way of writing, Spiral. Happy New year to you and your lovely sons. xxxxx
Fabulous. Wishing you all the very, very best for this year and beyond.
Happy New Year!
Awwww, reading that made me want to give you a great big hug,but my arms aren’t long enough (to reach from my town to your village, not to go round, you twit) so here’s a virtual hug instead. Happy New Year to you and the Unassuming Artist x
I was only down the road from you on that Milennium eve – St Clements, in fact, at a party with the rest of my family. I can’t believe ten years have passed so quickly, and will be happy if the next ten are similar to the last ones.
Happy New Year to you. I’ve a feeling that the next decade will be a good one. x
So beautifully put.
Here’s to the beginning of your Happily Ever After. x
Happy New Year, Jen. Lovely post as always, and I love your hopeful attitude toward the new decade.
Cheers! xx
Ten years ago I was in Brighton reading for my BA – and I am still here (not still reading for my BA, obviously). What happened? Happy New Year x
Helen – Making new friends is something really special. Days are all the better with you in them. I suspect & hope we’re going to be friends for a very long time to come X
Liz – Thanks Sweetie. Hopefully this year will be the one we finally meet!
Poetess – You’re going to have a fab year. I can feel it. Now get writing!
Hulla – Aw, you wee Scotterish thing, you. Sending all love and good wishes and the hope that I make it up to visit you all this year.
Megan – Hello and thank you! Happy New Year to you too!
Queenie – Aw, all hugs gratefully received. I’m not sad though, which this post may not convey very well. Smiling quietly and thoughtfully. You’ve been many high points of 2009. Thank you. Let’s have lots more!
Debs – It always makes me smile that we’re so often so near yet so far. 2010 will be the year we have that glass of something lovely together. I’ll be back on the rock before too long.
Lane – Happy Ever Afters to you too, lovely Lane.
Angie – Hope, positivity and sheer bloody determination. Cheers!
DOT – Perhaps it’s the way that we don’t realise we’re in just the right place until we look over our shoulder and see just how far we’ve come. Staying still has definite benefits.
I’m glad someone had a good 2009.
Roll on 2010. I hope it’s better for me.
(thanks for the text hon)
Gorgeous post Jen – thank you, it has made me feel all smiley – Happy New Year and looking forward to sharing lots of writing with you over the coming months
Oh. That’s brought a tear to my eye… it could be the jetlag, though; they already feel like sandpaper…
It’s a lovely post. Big hugs to you from here. Jjx
I love everything you write. I hope 2010 brings you all sorts of writerly joy and some Artistry joy as well!! Fx
I love not knowing what’s coming next, well most of the time! So is returning to Novel Racers one of the things for this year?
I hope this decade brings you everything you deserve. I hope that Meg and I get to share even a small part of your future. Hugs and hope to catch up soon. Happy New Year. Xxxx
Beautiful post. Happy New Year… big smiles right back atcha
Lovely post.
Ten years ago on New Years Eve I was in this house, newly married and dreading going back to a job that drained me. I left the job shortly afterwards and have been much happier since.
Looking forward to getting to know you better.
VERY interesting post m’dear. Jen, it’s a funny old life, 2009 was one ‘ell of a shitty year for yours truly. BUT I spent New Years Eve with my lovely friends that a celebrated 1999 with, so all in all the last decade wasn’t so bad. Methinks life is a bit like a see-saw, balance is the name of the game.Don’t share your see-saw with a fat kid, as you’re spend most of your time up in the air. Best to have your feet firmly on the ground before you start tap dancing. Blinkin’ eck I do talk a load of twaddle at times (most of the time). Oh, I’ve started up again on the old photo blog. Snap! Snap!
TFx
Beth – this year will be better for you. It will.
Sarah – Happy smiles to you for the new year. And raaaaah for the writingness.
JJ – Aw, you poor jetlagged thing, I don’t know how you can stand it. I do envy your fabulous life though!
Fionnuala – Aw, you do say the sweetest things. You should come on prescription! Artistry joy? Whatever do you mean?
Denise – I don’t mind the lack of planning but it does strike me that, regardless of intention, we do end up in some funny places sometimes that we would never have imagined! I think a Novel Racers return is unlikely to be on the cards – except for the jolly meets though! More about that in the next blog post, methinks.
Richard – I suspect we will both have good starts to this decade; you will be a grown-up and settle your foundations. I, on the other hand, will try to resist buying a van and abandoning all sense entirely! Last summer was definitely a high point of the decade. Must organise more!
gekkogirl – Happy New Year to you too… looking forward to hearing more from you this year!
Bernadette – Hello, Happy New Year to you! I like the idea of a whole decade being as settled as yours sounds. Abandoning a draining job is, I confess, something lingering in my spare thoughts just now. Looking forward to the coming year with lots of new words for us. Woo hoo!
TF – Yes, in your typically nutty way you’re quite right. Balance is what it’s all about. “Don’t see-saw with a fat kid’ has got to be best line of advice evah! Glad to hear you’re getting snappy again. Thatta girl. You’re too good not to you know.
Beautifully put, as ever. You forget to mention that meeting me was the pinnacle of 2009, but I’ll forgive you on account of your enormous talent.
Here’s to a fabulous, story-writing extravaganza of a year, with bucket-loads of teenage sarcasm to keep you grounded. (I hate that my teenagers do sarcasm better than me.)
I have so enjoyed your posts and this was no exception. I wish you happiness and a wonderful next 10 years, with bucketloads of creativity and whatever else you wish for.
Karen – Meeting you was the pinnacle but I naturally felt that it went without saying..? Wishing you all things fab – 2009 laid some pretty firm foundations and I can’t wait to see what this year holds for you.
Sheepish – Thank you… I think the next ten years will hold more joy than the last did for many of us. Wishing you stories and smiles aplenty. You deserve them.
Ever thought about publishng your blog posts in hardcover? ‘twould make a grand publication me thinks – I fantasise about writing a short about when Parky (who I can’t stand) interviewed me (as a succesful but arsy writer – this is pure fiction) and in the film version I would be played by Julie Waters… but Roger Waters would do just as well as I adore Eddie Izzard but ya don’t see any female cross dressers on tv (I’m not one but it would be fun to pretend). I feel better now I’ve got that off my flat chest.
Lizzie – You should totally write that short, it’d be superfabulous! Hmmm, people do produce books almost purely based on blog posts, don’t they? I think those books are mainly made from blogs wot are a bit gooder than this one though. Pfffff. Perhaps I should start a fictioal blog in which I have oddles of adventures? Female cross dressers should feature everywhere. I’m wearing long johns today, just to prove it. And… um… a string vest. I look hot.