“We all change, when you think about it, we are all different people all through our lives and that’s okay that’s good you’ve gotta keep moving so long as you remember all the people that you used to be.” -11th Doctor (Matt Smith) in Time of the Doctor
At the end of year, I
have a tradition of writing up an “end-of-the-year” blog in which I attempt to
capture the happenings of the past year, as well as to begin thinking ahead to
the types of changes I would like to see in the coming year. At the end of
2012, I do believe I wrote a “love letter” to the year that included the words,
“pal carajo.” Because, well, 2012 kicked my ass. 2013 was quite different. I
found my way. And I sit here on the last couple of nights of the year, thinking
about what has changed in the past year, all the hard decisions I have made in
my personal life, all the progress I have made in my career, and all the
unknowns that are spread out before.
So, cheers, we begin
another year, and here is what took place last year…
1.
I spent a lot
of time juicing, making paletas, and hula hooping.
2.
Once I learned
how to eat my feelings, in contrast to drinking them, I reached a place where I
literally split my pants. After the fact, I sang the Young MC song for days.
3.
My academic
career took me to many great places…an ethnography conference in Chicago, an
invited plenary session about the statehood vote of Puerto Rico, Atlanta for
the Southerns, New York for the ASAs, and well, Sydney, which deserves its very
own acknowledgement.
4.
I saw 20 minor
leagues baseball games during the past season, mostly thanks to Michelle. I saw
games in Nashville, but also in Staten Island, Coney Island, Virginia Beach,
and Memphis. The baseball extravaganza also involved attending batting practice
with the Nashville Sounds courtesy of Michelle. Then, there was that weird
incident where Ozzie (the mascot) started following me on Twitter.
5.
I found out
that my heart skips a beat more than most people.
6.
I had the
chance to teach two classes for my mentor for approximately three weeks, which
reminded me of just how much I really love the career I have chosen.
7.
The girls left
the neighborhood. Then, the girls returned to the neighborhood.
8.
My brother,
John, got engaged to my soon-to-be-sister-in-law, Jessica.
9.
I ate many new
foods, such as bone marrow, alligator, kangaroo, and emu.
10. I fell in love
with Miranda July, Junot Diaz (even more than I was), Lena Dunham, Sandra
Cisneros, and Tao Lin.
11. I also fell in love with Doctor Who, Breaking Bad,
and the Walking Dead.
12. We lost three
of the greatest musicians the world has ever known: Jason Molina, Lou Reed, and
last, but certainly not least, Dave from Sticky.
13. I was cited,
published a couple of times, and applied to more jobs than I care to remember.
In addition, I also received my first two inquires for jobs interviews. I was
also accepted to present my research at the International Sociological
Association’s World Congress in Yokohama, Japan next year.
14. In addition to
my academic successes, it was a year of rejections, from fellowships to grants
to jobs to publications.
15. I had the chance to see Caitlin Rose and Jason
Isbell with Michelle, Justin Townes Earle with Allison, Desaparecidos with Erin
B., and particularly, Cyndi Lauper with myself.
16. Allison and I
took a weekend.
17. I ate at a TGI
Fridays and a Wafflehouse.
18. Sydney.
19. My brother,
Taylor, graduated from college with his nursing degree.
20. The many, many
lovely neighborhood parties in Germantown, from the celebration of 2013 to
Garden Tours to Oktoberbest to the Holiday Party. I’ve also loved getting to
know all my fantastic neighbors, particularly, the one and only, President of
Germantown, Robbie.
21. I dealt with some
very difficult situations, where I feared I would lose some of the most
important people in my life. I also was forced to interact with the most bat shit
crazy person that exists in all of New Jersey, well and the world for that
matter.
22. While trying
to figure out how to enter the dating world, I overcorrected, then
undercorrected, compartmentalized, invested little to receive little return on
my investment. I also realized my intuition is pretty spot on when it comes to potential partners.
23. I noted how curiously similar the dating world is to both the job market and
the lottery.
24. More than
several times, I wrote the following on my social media pages: “I never learn”
and “Reckless Abandon.” Apparently, I like making mistakes, without too much
foresight.
25. One of my
favorite quotes of the year came from Michelle when she said to me over brunch,
“To a hermit, you are like the circus.”
26. And because
RuPaul’s Drag Race has the greatest of all quotes, I leave you with these:
“Don’t
try it little boy.”
“Hot
garbage.”
“You
shady bitch!”
“I-am-not-bothered.com”
“Get
a grip, get a life, and get over it.”
And my own personal
rendition,
“Girl, you better sissy that manuscript.”
27. I learned
to “guffaw” and “scoff” too much.
28. I decided to
start the year over with a clear heart, even if this meant making tough
decisions.
29. Last year, I
got my first two tattoos. This year, I did something else that I had never
done, twice. And no, I don’t regret that either.
30. On the last day of 2012, Michelle, Ashley, and
I made a list of the things we wanted to eliminate from our lives in 2013. As I
began to write out my list for 2014, I realized there are many items that
remain on my list, but perhaps more importantly, I also realized how much
progress I’ve made in the past year. Yes, I must say, 2013, I learned how to
just be myself.
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