New Year’s Eve Ramblings
I have three drafts saved, and was supposed to post a sort of countdown, with a post a day. But even at draft stage, they got too long and personal, so I decided to ditch them. (In case anyone is wondering, the three countdown posts were going to be about family, friends and gadgets - yeah, so what’s new in Chet’s life?)
Then I have had various threads running through my head, vying to be Chet’s final post for 2004.
And of course, above all, I wanted to write a clever and touching post to end this year.
All that’s out the window now.
opens window and chucks drafts and thought threads to the ground below
Let me just ramble (the only way I know how to write).
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Rambling # 1
I just realised this morning today is the last day of 2004.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Rambling # 2
I always look forward to each new year as the opportunity to make a new start and fresh beginning. Unfortunately, for 2005, I’m bringing quite a bit of the old year’s baggage into it. Sorry, 2005.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Rambling # 3
I just spent a very pleasant bit of time after lunch with mother at GT Heritage. We sat in one of the long plastic garden seats in front facing the playing field. 93-year-old Margaret had been sitting there by herself earlier but had been persuaded to go back indoors after a while. So I asked if she would like to join us, and she readily agreed.
So there I was, seated in-between two old ladies. I wonder if I’ll live to be as old as the younger of the two (mother at 78)?
I also had a very pleasant chat with Margaret who was in one of her clear-minded moods. Actually, she initiated the conversation, commenting on the breeze and the trees (GT Heritage has five gorgeous pine trees right in front) and the birds that live in the trees. She sounded very clear, too, unlike other times when she mumbled.
Mother, on the other hand, was fussing and wanting to go home.
I love old people. I have a burden for them. A friend once laughed at me for this burden, saying it’s a shorter time for them (cuz of their age). She said her burden is for children as there’s more time to spend with them. But then God took her son home to Him when he was only 15.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Rambling # 4
Here’s a longer rambling. In fact, this is the final post I wanted to write. It’s about what’s significant.
A certain young person once wrote that she blogs about what’s significant. I guess we all do that to a certain extent. For me, what’s significant may be seen in the number of posts I’ve written under the different categories I’ve set up (this is probably my favourite WordPress feature - the ability to set up categories for my posts).
Since September 2004, when I moved to writing with WordPress, I’ve written a total of 263 posts. Today’s post will be the 264th. That’s more than two posts a day every day in the 122 days between September and December. Well, some days I did not write, and some days I was prolific and posted 3 or 4 posts. But then, some posts were pictures, not words. It did mean I’ve more or less fulfilled my “never a day without lines” pledge. So, that was at least one thing I accomplished in 2004.
Of course, the other thing I accomplished was NaNoWriMo 2004 - 50,000 words in the 30 days of November! Besides writing those 50,000 words, I also learned various things from NaNoWriMo, as well as made friends, too.
NaNoWriMo = writing
When I looked at the breakdown of posts under the categories I’ve set up, I was surprised to learn that the one category I have the most posts under is not “Family” or “Friends” or “Gadgets”, but “Writing”!
So, if I use number of posts to define what’s significant to me, then writing, with a total of 34 posts, is the most significant. Then again, not every post in that category is 100% about writing, if you get what I mean.
“Family”, “Friends” and “Gadgets” still made it to the Top 5, with “Gadgets” coming in at #2 (26 posts), “Friends” and “Family” coming in at #4 (21 posts) and #5 (19 posts) respectively, and “Personal” and “Pictures” sharing a joint #3 (22 posts each).
Family and friends definitely rank high on my list of what’s significant. People still matter a lot to me.
What about my faith? That’s a relatively new category just added this month. For what it’s worth, I’ve been a Christian for almost 30 years, which is a very long time but which unfortunately has not borne much fruit (except for my parents, who I saw baptised in 1997). Like everything else in my life, my relationship with my Saviour and Lord has been a yo-yo and rollercoaster ride rolled in one. Am I backslided? I prefer the word “lapsed”. For 2005, I’m looking forward to it being on the “upward” ride, and remaining there more than being down.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Rambling # 5
I’ve made more new friends this year than I have in a long time (and that’s mainly because I’d stopped making new friends, telling myself I didn’t have the energy or time … or so I thought).
Three of them have come to mean a lot to me, but I won’t mention their names, as it won’t be fair to the others, and I’m sure they don’t want the attention either. Suffice it to say I know it was the Lord who brought these three people into my life and for specific reasons, too.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
Rambling # 6
And now, here’s the final one …
What a way to end the old year
My “best” friend is here
Yah, that’s the old way of saying it. Here’s the new way - “best” friend is my period, lah!
Have a blessed year ahead, everyone. I won’t wish “happy” cuz we all know it’s definitely not a happy one, in view of what happened on Boxing Day 2004.
One final online thought from Chet for 2004:
We are already blessed because we have been spared.
Oh wait … one more thought.
He’s already there, so there’s nothing to worry about, or fear!!
Thank you, Lord, for Your Hand in our lives. |
