Given that the idea of blogging for the year is in itself clichéd,
I am going to maintain the cliché level by reviewing last year.
This is purely from my perspective of course. I recognise it
wasn’t a very good year for people in countless areas of the world, or for people
forced out of their homes by the bedroom tax. And, moving a little closer to
home, I am now of an age where a number of friends’ parents are dying.
Compared to any of these people’s situation the word to sum
up my year is probably “trivial”. But it’s my year, and so that’s what I am
writing about.
Overall I had a pretty good year in 2013. Not everything in
my life is great, by any means, but generally I look back on the year with some
satisfaction, and I think I am in a much better place now than I was a year
ago.
Music
Music is important to me, increasingly so each year, and I’ll
write about why in a future blog.
Totting it up, and I might well have missed something, I sang
in twelve concerts in 2013. I think this amounts to about 40,000 people.
Admittedly, playing the Albert Hall seven times (three different shows) amounts
to 95% of this, but it’s still an impressive number. I also, for the first time, did some proper
big band gigs – alone in front of an audience with only seventeen fabulously talented
instrumentalists. When they kick into gear six feet behind you, the sound is
incredible.
By no means the biggest gig of the year, but the one I am
proudest of, was with the Voxcetera Chamber
Choir. Looking for further challenge I joined this fabulous group of singers in
September and our Christmas concert was an incredibly special event for me.
Life and Health
After years of trying, I think I’ve finally got into the habit
of going to the gym. Not sure I am doing exactly the right stuff when I am
there, but it’s a step in the right direction. There’s a new and cheap gym
opening opposite work in a month’s time, so I am hoping this will allow me to
continue to get healthier.
Alcohol (the cause of
- and solution to - all life’s problems – Homer J Simpson) and I have a bit
of a chequered history, worthy of its own blog, but from a long-term
perspective, my decisions here have definitely been the most beneficial.
On other life matters – I will only quote Tracey Thorn (and yes – I know Danny
Whitten wrote it). Ho hum.
Holidays
I took my kids away for a big holiday for the first (and, given
their ages, increasing self-reliance, and my bank balance, probably last) time.
Orlando probably isn’t my dream destination, but they loved it, and I enjoyed
two weeks with them, with no greater pressures than deciding what and where to
eat that night. Plus I got to see the Space Shuttle!!!!!
As the boys reach adulthood, I don’t think I love them any
differently, but we relate to each other now as adults, and that’s a big plus
for me.
The other benefit of the holiday was that I got to read lots
of…..
Books
I used to read a huge amount. In terms of amount but also
breadth of stuff. And over the years it really tailed off. Lack of time,
tiredness – lots of things played a part. Two weeks of fairly solid reading reminded
me of what I have missed, and I have been busy catching up ever since. There is
so much cheap stuff available on the Kindle store.
Work
A really busy year. I’ve vowed this isn’t a blog about work
stuff, but that doesn’t stop me from saying that it has been really tough at
times – great fun on lots of occasions, and frustrating on others. I do find
myself thinking – worrying really, that I’m not sure I can, or want to, go at
this pace for too much longer. Partly because I am an overweight middle-aged
male, so am entering prime heart attack territory, but mostly because there is
so much more I want to do with my life, and I need the time and energy to do
it.
So I don’t foresee any changes right now, but am going to
start thinking about what else I could do to pay the bills and make me a little
less time-poor.
Friends
I don’t have lots and lots of friends. I don’t want lots and
lots of friends either. But I do have some very good friends, and (cliche-ometer
to max) they really are what life is about. You know who you are - thank you.
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