So at this time of the year, I like to think about what I've accomplished and try to think about how I can improve. Gah, no I don't. That's a school assignment, but it makes for a good post, and since it's on my mind anyway, remember I write these for myself to sort out my thoughts. I'd planned about three different things to post on, but if you've checked my blog in the last three weeks, I'm behind and most everything has already occurred. I'm going to pretend like it hasn't however, and split this up into three smaller parts so the other two aren't blank. This will be the one about 2013.
Looking behind me, for any given year, I tend to be disappointed by what I should have done rather than content in what I've accomplished. It's overwhelming to think how much yet how little happened. At the moment it occurs, it feels like one of the biggest events of my life. Practicing non stop for a check up, staying up super late to do homework, not getting to go on a retreat. These all seem like pretty pivotal points in our current week, but for the most part they turn out later to seem no more than a couple stressful hours that might have been better spent cuddling with kitties or helping someone else. I don't know, that's just how it goes for me. So that's why I'm first going to focus on what I did accomplish.
I didn't exactly conscientiously decide on that many goals, but I know that two of them were finish reading though the whole Bible, and be able to do twelve pull-ups. I am very proud to say that I reached both of those, if only barely. The Bible one started back in the summer, it was the second time I got fired up about reading it consistently and I actually stuck with it. The first time was in middle school when there was a prize for whoever did the 90 day plan got a prize. That's right, the goal was to read through the entire Bible in only three months. There's nothing like a good contest to get me excited. I think I tried it three times in all. At least I didn't completely give up, yet I always lost my speed when I finished the old testament and by that time it doesn't look as worth it anymore. This was not a good goal in any case, I should not have wanted to read for personal gain but simply out of thirst for its knowledge. I don't think that I learned much at that rate. Well, not the second two tries. The first one I was doing really good, keeping a notebook and writing a page or so worth of things I learned, questions, prayers, and whatever else. That was worth it, but I tend to lose hope when I miss so much as one day and then I give up. So this summer, I've been told so often that on breaks people get spiritually lazy, but for me it was the opposite. It gave me a purpose and by creating my own schedule, I was more motivated. I made a list of how much I needed to read of certain books every day to finish by certain dates and without feeling horrible if I skipped but also not allowing myself to be extremely inconsistent, I was able to feel good about it. It was also a better aim too I think, without feeling obligated, at least not always, but truly looking forward to it every day. One last thing, I might have mentioned it a couple months ago, but I had a special spot. I really like heights, it makes me feel closer to God and I can be somewhat alone. So I read high up in a tree. I could sing if I liked or pray aloud if I liked, and no one bothered me. It was great. The last obstacle which I overcame in this was that the very last part of my plan went into the first month or so of the school year, I had foreseen this and hoped it wouldn't completely bomb my time set aside and it didn't. In fact it was quite a good time to do it because the end was in sight to keep me going no matter what. I kept time aside for it and finished right on time and it was the best feeling.
The other goal, in its own way just as ambitious, though not as useful, was the twelve pull-ups. In fact, that was just for my own sake to prove I could do it. And, I must admit, also to show off. I hadn't realized how close I was until we got into November. Most of the time I know deep down that things will get done, but not in a timely manner. I had no idea that I would truly be able to do it without that much work. Here's how it happened. My brother got a bar that hangs on the door frame for Christmas 2012. I could do between two and three, perhaps four at my max. This was disappointing seeing as that was about the same I could do in fifth grade and I'd done a lot of swimming since. So I decided to add on one pull-up for each month. So one every day in January, two in February, and so on all the way to twelve in December. I was pretty good in the beginning. Especially in January it gave me great joy to do one pull-up and feel like I'd completed a goal for the day. Those first months were my best but as you can imaging, with each month, I got a little worse about missing days until November, I think I only did about a scattered week's worth. Yet I still made it! Even if I only did it twice in December, I can now say that I could, at one point do twelve successive pull-ups.
One failed goal that wasn't a real proposed one but just something that's been sitting in the back of my mind, was being able to do the splits. I think that's been a goal of mine for over four years, you'll have to see if it makes it on this year's list. No matter what, the good comes with the bad, and sometimes the bad appears significantly greater. We're supposed to take those bad things, at least the ones relating to character, and try to fix them. But that will come next week.
Beyond goals, if I were to pick a major event of the year, it would be going back to Greenhouse! I can't thank the Lord enough for convincing the teachers for the first time in forever to allow a Rhetoric student join at the end of the first semester. And then the day! I would probably have picked Thursday because I know practically everyone that goes on it, but clearly God had other plans and it's worked out wonderfully. Tuesday was the only day that had room and it must have been meant to be because that's the day I went on way back when and now I'm here again and I couldn't be more pleased with the way I was welcomed. And I am so so happy to have one of the same teachers I had when I left. He even was gone for a while as well but he's back and just as awesome as ever =P Of course the other triumph would be officially closing the court case, but the way it dragged on forever, it kinda felt part of life and not much to worry about. However, I will not be sad to see it go. Other little things might be just like getting lots of little part time jobs, winning NaNoWriMo, visiting my niece, and just enjoying the small things of life. I don't know if I believe in best years, either way this wouldn't be it, but it wasn't a horrible one and that's what counts.
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