The end of 2021 – On my terms. 5th edition.

New Year's Eve

I hope y’all had a wonderful Holiday season! (Let me know in the comments whether you celebrated Christmas, something else, or nothing at all.) My Christmas season has been busy with a VIP guest from out of town. However, it was a good kind of busy. A great kind, in fact. I had fun!

Today, I wish

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!

Things will not magically change, but try to use that clean slate to write a new and improved chapter of your life. Who knows? Maybe this time it will actually work?! (It is madness to try something over and over again and expect different results, but I do not judge, so give it a ‘go!’)

I hope that I will get to see all of you this time of year again next year and that we will be joined by many more. Expanding my blogging community brings me joy, allows me to learn about different people and perspectives, which in turn helps me grow. So, please do not leave WordPress. Instead, try to recruit others you know in real life to join our forces.

Historically, these ‘end-of-year’ posts of mine are drafted throughout the entire year. Periodically, I would add links to posts I had written throughout the year and write a brief description for each one. Somehow, this year, I completely forgot to do so until the end of November. Thankfully, for this purpose only, there are not many posts to link this year… Before I get to the list, let me first reflect on the year that is about to pass.

There is a part of me that wants to complain about how tough this year has been and how it impacted my writing, but the other part of me does not like to whine. The latter usually wins.

Yes, it sucked.

I wish I were in a different place than I am in my life.

I wish I wrote so much more.

I wish I finished my WIP.

But, you know what? You cannot turn back time. (If you can, please reach out to me through my Contact page with directions on how to do that, or share in the comment section.) You cannot get things your way just because you want them – even if you REALLY want them – no matter what motivational speakers tell you.

So, I choose to actually celebrate what I HAVE done this year.

There are two things I am very pleased with:

  1. I got a new job! The new position is not what I expected, but it is not necessarily a bad thing. I am broadening my horizons, learning a lot, and meeting tons of new people. All of which I am very much enjoying. The old position I left behind… They are struggling without me. I hope they are able to stabilize soon, but at the same time, I feel a tiny bit of satisfaction knowing that I am being missed.
  2. I managed to write (and publish on this blog) a story consisting of 12 chapters penned throughout the year! This project kept me accountable and motivated. I am SO thankful to BBprompt for inspiring me to do that.

What are some of the things YOU are proud of accomplishing this year?

I want to share what my ideas are for next year in terms of this blog, but I am a major skeptic when it comes to making plans. I just have a feeling things are going to go South (why is ‘South’ considered ‘bad’?), and they usually do… So, I figured I will take it one step at a time and announce that I will try to participate in Bloguary. Hopefully, that will allow me to get back into the swing of things and give me more room for realistic planning. Let me know if you will participate, too! I think it will be a great event to spark some creative posts and it will allow us to mingle more with bloggers we have not met before.

Last year there were almost a hundred posts written by me. 2019 and 2018 each had almost two hundred posts. Even in 2017, which was when I first started blogging, I managed to pen about 60 posts in 6 months. I finish this year with a lot fewer. What I hope that will do is actually motivate you to go through the list and see if maybe you missed some of them or maybe you would like to re-read. It is tedious to go through 190 post descriptions but I have faith that you can scroll through 40 in no time. You know I will return the favor if you engage in a meaningful conversation on my blog.

The Golden Compendium of 2021 (in chronological order):

  1. NROP: Why Social Media is Bad for You and Even Worse for Celebrities. – You need to be very careful when posting anything online. Even more so, if you are a celebrity.
  2. CW: A Girl from the Apple Orchard. (1/12) – Chapter 1 of an original family-drama-mystery.
  3. NROP: Free Speech – For Me but NOT For You. – How social media silences some but not others. It is all arbitrary. Stay vigilant.
  4. CW: January Collection – Three short pieces I penned at the beginning of the year.
  5. NROP: Best Service Animal. – Not only a dog can be a service animal.
  6. CW: Yo Momma – A tale about a boy lost in the world after his mother’s death.
  7. CW: A Girl from the Apple Orchard. (2/12) – Chapter 2 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  8. CW: Murder on Mangrove Meadow. – For some, working from home might be a death sentence.
  9. NROP: Beijing boyg. – The controversial Beijing Olympics – To go or not to go?
  10. CW: February Collection – Two short pieces I penned at the beginning of the year.
  11. NROP: Airport automation – a matter of convenience or surveillance? – Technology is hellbent on making our lives easier. Or are the people behind it just trying to surveil us better?
  12. CW: Last week, across the street… – A poem about depression.
  13. NROP: The old, the new, and the normal. – Many things have changed due to the pandemic, many more are evolving as we ‘speak.’ Whatever happens, let us remember the need for culture and education of our kids – our future.
  14. CW: A Girl from the Apple Orchard (3/12) – Chapter 3 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  15. NROP: Role Models of Today: Becoming a Bimbo. – Why being a bimbo is a good thing.
  16. NROP: Don’t We All Deserve Security? – Celebrities always ask for more privilages but fewer duties. How fair is that?
  17. CW: A Girl From the Apple Orchard (4/12) – Chapter 4 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  18. NROP: The Pointy Edge of Protests. – An essay on why current protests are not fixing anything and how they are actually making things worse.
  19. CW: Dangerous – Just because someone is quiet does not mean they cannot be deadly.
  20. HW: #MondayMotivation; Do Not Be Afraid To Try New Things. – a little encouragement to keep trying.
  21. HW: #TuesdayThoughts; Morning Pages and Homework for Life. – my experience with writing exercises during Lent.
  22. CW: A Girl From the Apple Orchard (5/12) – Chapter 5 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  23. CW: The Awakening. – Remember that time when you partied so hard that you were not sure where you were when you woke up the following day? That might be more dangerous than you think.
  24. NROP: What is that between your legs? A surprise find. – on challenges trans people face at the airport.
  25. CW: A Girl From the Apple Orchard (6/12) – Chapter 6 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  26. NROP: It’s getting hot in here… – on how ‘smart’ devices can work against us.
  27. CW: The setting sun. – The setting sun can cause sadness for some. Another day gone. For Maisey, it sparks joy and hope.
  28. CW: A Secret Ingredient – A man prepares a dinner date for a woman. What could go wrong?
  29. NROP: How to achieve work-life balance? – Is work-life balance a thing of the past or a four-day-work-week our future?
  30. CW: A Girl From the Apple Orchard (7/12) – Chapter 7 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  31. CW: Listen to your 3lders. – Do parents always know better? A cautionary tale.
  32. NROP: Where Should I Move To? – Companies, cities, and states are offering financial incentives if you are willing to re-locate. Would you?
  33. CW: A Girl From the Apple Orchard (8/12) – Chapter 8 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  34. Blog “Block Party” – 5th edition. – a casual conversation with hors d’oeuvre
  35. CW: A Girl From the Apple Orchard (9/12) – Chapter 9 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  36. CW: A Girl From the Apple Orchard (10/12) – Chapter 10 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  37. CW: A Girl From the Apple Orchard (11/12) – Chapter 11 of the original family-drama-mystery.
  38. ?Random Raiders! – a new way to discover other people’s older posts and to uncover broken links on your site.
  39. CW: A Girl from the Apple Orchard (12/12) – the last chapter of the original family-drama-mystery.
  40. This post.

Stay golden,

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36 thoughts on “The end of 2021 – On my terms. 5th edition.”

Add yours

  1. No apologies or explanations necessary for writing fewer posts – I hope, because you still wrote more than I did. 🙄 In my songwriting days I commented to my husband about a songwriter who had written hundreds of songs, and how intimidated I felt. His swift and sweet reply was, “You can write hundreds of mediocre songs, or you can write one really great one.” (❤️) I guess it’s possible to have quantity AND quality, but it was sweet of him to say all the same.
    Happy 2022, Goldie. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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  2. You already know a bit of my answer, but I’ll reiterate it here since you specifically asked. I will be celebrating Christmas next weekend, after my adult son comes into town, with my mom, daughter, son-in-law, and husband.

    Congrats on your new job!! I’m so glad you’re finally in it full-time. It’s been a long time coming. I am not at all surprised that your former employer misses you immensely. Bask in that glow.

    About three months ago, I started a new hybrid role at work that is supervisory in nature. As a result, I have spent a whole lot more time working and dealing with BS. I had originally avoided going into any kind of managerial role when I originally took this position, but it was ultimately unavoidable. While I am good at management, it sucks the life out of me. On the flipside, I got a very good bump in pay and the non-management part of my job has been terrific.

    I don’t usually do resolutions, but this year I am promising myself to re-organize and declutter my home, and improve my health. I already kick started it today, by re-organizing several cupboards in my kitchen that have been driving me insane. I also finally hung about 10 pieces of art on my walls that have been gathering dust for more than a year.

    As far as my blog, I backed way off on it as well this past year. I completely lost motivation to write as regularly as I had the previous year. I am hoping that 2022 is an improvement on that front.

    I hope your 2022 is brighter and better than you allow yourself to dream it to be!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you so much for writing a proper – lengthy comment. It brings me great joy to read those (which makes me think that I really should pick up the slack on the comments I leave on your page!).

      It’s really quite fascinating to hear from MANY people how management positions can be miserable. I completely agree – having to deal with unnecessary drama is not something that’s fun for me. CongratZ on the pay and may the management part of the job get better with time!

      Great start! Keep at it!

      You are so sweet with your wishes. Right back at ya!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Don’t you dare feel guilty for posting shorter comments on my posts! As you know, interaction is key. There are no standards/requirements for length of response. You’ve more than done your part.

        I’ve been in management for about 25 years. I’ve never really loved it, even though I’m very good at it. I think some people look at management as exciting or easy, until they’re actually in it and get to see what really happens behind the scenes.One of the major downside of being a manager is that you fight amongst each other, but the people you’re fighting for don’t get to witness that. Often, they think we’re not doing anything at all and, in the end, that’s what kills me. I keep doing it because I’m good at fighting with others and winning. 🤣 I’m also hopeful that the management side of things will come together and get easier/calmer in 2022.

        Liked by 1 person

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        1. “I keep doing it because I’m good at fighting with others and winning. 🤣” Love it!

          And yes, many don’t realize that some of the decisions impacting them are not just your random whim but that it comes from others and it could have been much, much worse.

          I wonder about that… I hope you’re right, but I fear that it might get worse (I mean in general, not in individual settings like yours). People seem to much more emotional and ego-centric, which I find often complicated work things.

          Liked by 1 person

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  3. Hey Goldie! While I don’t celebrate Christmas (or New Year’s), I still enjoy this time of year, considering I love winter. Honestly what you’re talking about, less posting, etc, seems to be a common thread among writing bloggers this past year. I think as long as you are still creating in some aspect as well as putting positive energy and time into family or other Good things, then that’s Great!! I know I myself backed off sharing my writing (due to a number of reasons) but I was a lot more disconnected from social media and more plugged into my real life and the great outdoors, as well as intellectual and spiritual pursuits.

    I hope you have a great year.

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  5. Pingback: The end of 2021 – On my terms. 5th edition. – The Running Educator Podcast (TRE)

  7. 5th already! May there be a 6th next year!

    My holidays were very quiet and Not very traditional, but it was enjoyable.

    I have been posting quite a lot this year, maybe a bit too often.
    But I am hoping the drawings are a pleasant change from reading posts and makes them laugh.

    That said, I miss your usual writing.
    Especially CW and the opinionated and informative posts.
    Hopefully you will have more time and motivation for those again!

    Liked by 2 people

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  8. A busy year. Change takes effort – I think we don’t give ourselves enough credit for that. And the book – awesome!

    I always thought it was “goes south” because south is down, so hell. So, goes south = goes to hell. I’m not looking it up, that’s just what I’ve always thought.

    I’ve doing bloguary – we’ll see what we’ll see. I have plans to review my year in posts as well, to find a theme. I’m pretty sure I found it by March, but I’m slogging on to the end to confirm.

    Happy 2022!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. So, I decided to look it up. South = down because of the compass representation of South (down). However, going South, for Native Americans, meant dying. Although the S=down seemed to be the most obvious meaning, I did not like it – what is up for some is not up for others (same for down).

      Oh, I’m excited to read your analysis.

      Happy New Year!

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  10. I quite like resolutions, although I don’t always find a good one on the first of January. I’m working on a Five First Saturday devotion right now, so that will do for the meantime. But the idea of regularly setting personal goals to promote growth–I love that.

    I suppose I could set this one–to be less out of control in 2022 than in 2021, but the problem with that is that circumstances were, well, out of my control. I had Covid twice (getting over it AGAIN now), and was vaccinated twice, although if I had it to do over, there’s no way I’d repeat that. So, I suppose I’ve learned to distrust the CDC and doctors MUCH more than I used to. I guess I could wrap that in sunshine and say I’m going to make more informed medical decisions in the future.

    As far as blogging every day for a month–no. Not unless I really have something to say. I did it for most of six months when I got started because I really did have a lot saved up. Interestingly, it’s the comma blogs from back then that provide most of my google traffic, so I’d advise solving small, blog-length problems for people if you want this to generate long-term traffic. But daily stream-of-consciousness stuff solicits a mental eye roll from me. Hardly anyone is that interesting. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t write the stuff. But only publish on your blog something that’s riveting enough to make someone come back, would be my advice.

    Yay for the new job! It’s always nice to see changes work out because it’s always a risk.

    As far as writing more frequently goes…cut your self some slack. It’s better to wait until you have something important to say than to simply ramble, IMO. Or at least it is for me. Sure, I’ve joined challenges–Nano and a short story every week, etc. And…a lot of it was a waste. It wasn’t good enough, and at first, I blogged it anyway. Later I went back and deleted those posts. Perhaps it was worth something as a personal learning experience. But sometimes, there’s a reason you’re blocked. Sometimes not. I guess learning the difference between the two is a worthwhile endeavor. : )

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    1. I feel like Lent has been a good time for me to start resolutions and build habits in the past couple of years. I hope to find something worthy of a try this year, too.

      I’m glad to hear that you’ve recovered/are recovering alright from this virus. And it’s fascinating to read about the lessons you took out of your personal journey.

      “I’d advise solving small, blog-length problems for people if you want this to generate long-term traffic.” that is great advice. I’ve arrived at that conclusion many times in the past, but with all the video tutorials available on EVERY topic and the fact that I don’t really consider myself an expert, this project is still on hold… Back in the day, many have told me that they would enjoy reading more personal things on my blog, so every now and again, I come up with those posts. However, I think that my conversations in the comment section do that just fine on their own. I will have to see how the challenge progresses as the month continues.

      Thank you for that advice. Earlier today I thought of writing those, but making them private. That way, I continue with the challenge and hopefully ignite some more creativity in the process without overloading my readers with nonsense. If I do continue, please feel free to skip 😉 I hope to be back to ‘normal’ posts in February at the latest.

      Thank you. I completely agree with your outlook on quality vs. quantity and will continue on figuring out how it all works best for me.

      Stay golden!

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  12. We had a wonderful Christmas day bunch with all the kids and grandkids. It was exactly what I wanted/needed. The new year came and without my help, but my hubby made a delicious pot of chicken soup for us today. The snowstorm that we have been hearing about for several days arrived about 5:00 p.m. so we will wake up to 3-5 inches of shoveling in the morning.
    Congratulations on both the new job and finishing your (12 month) story.
    I am not making any resolutions but have already stated making so changes and have some things that I am planning to do. Whether it all goes as I plan – well who knows but I do hope to still be blogging when we greet 2023 and to read your “end of 2022 on your terms” post.
    Keep on keeping on!

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  13. Happy New Year!!!!!! Lets see I think I have read almost all of your posts for the year (possibly since they were much less than normal hmmmm)

    Congratulations on all the wins… and for all the L’s well we start a new year and see whats up ^_^
    hahaha was laughing at the why things going bad is called going south , very good question, ironically looking at that I leave in a country south of a continent and yeah its not doing too good either

    Also yep one cant help feeling a certain smugness at seeing that they occupied a position which upon leave the void you left is noticeable cheers

    and here’s to a Dunlop or Good Year or whatever tyres you prefer this year lol

    ~B

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  14. I’m glad you still stuck around here on WordPress despite all the wild things that had been going on in your life. It’s always such a pleasure to hear your honest thoughts on things in life and I hope 2022 will allow you to remain as creative as you are, that you achieve the goals you set yourself, and that you’re happy doing whatever you decide to do in life! Happy New Year! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thank you! I am glad I stuck around, too. I don’t know what would make me stop entirely (*knocks on wood*). It’s such a magical place and the people here *cough* like you *cough* are definitely a big part of it. Happy New Year, Mr. PhD!

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a. e. branson

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What Draws Attention

A Place to Spiritually Ponder Who We Are Called To Be.

Writing Is Testifying

The story of one is the story of everyone

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