No sunset, no solstice, but still some thoughts
(Transcribed from a notebook ...)
I'm back on the hillside of Donner Park for my annual first-day-of-summer reflection. This is my fifth year doing this, but it's a little different in 2010. First, it's three days after the summer solstice -- this has been my first chance during a crazy wekk. Second, there's no visible sunset. It's been a gorgeous week, but right now, the first extended line of clouds has pulled up behind the Great Salt Lake in front of the setting sun. Maybe I'll try again over the weekend, but the clouds aren't going to stop me from writing tonight.
Yes, another year has passed. It's been quite a year for our family. I've seen my sons experience such growth in the last 12 months -- Eldest loving kindergarten, and Littlest thriving in preschool (after a shaky start) and with his development in general. I wonder if between the two of them we will ever see such combined leaps as bounds as we did this past year. It's been so much fun, too.
As for me, I'm not quite where I want to be, but I feel like I'm making progress. I wrote my first novel this year -- yes I actually got it done back in November. The freelancing has been mostly steady, but I still want to expand my contract work. I think I'm becoming a better dad and husband, but still think I can improve. There are more writing projects I want to undertake, but having finished the novel, I feel like there's nothing I can't accomplish now. My problem is just the daunting initial first step. Once I can overcome that, I think I could be OK -- the NaNoWriMo (the effort to write the book) proved that.
Life is so busy, and there won't be any slowing down for years. That's just how I want it, no matter how much I complain or how tired or discombobulated I feel. This is the life we've chose and designed, and we understand the commitment that comes with it. There's no other path I'd rather be taking.
The sunset isn't coming back tonight, and a breeze off the mountains is chilling the back of my bare shoulders exposed by the throwback John Stockton jersey I'm wearing today. The view us still something else, even without the sunset. I know I'm paraphrasing a movie ("City Slickers") as I conclude this, but I don't care: Today is my best day.
I'm back on the hillside of Donner Park for my annual first-day-of-summer reflection. This is my fifth year doing this, but it's a little different in 2010. First, it's three days after the summer solstice -- this has been my first chance during a crazy wekk. Second, there's no visible sunset. It's been a gorgeous week, but right now, the first extended line of clouds has pulled up behind the Great Salt Lake in front of the setting sun. Maybe I'll try again over the weekend, but the clouds aren't going to stop me from writing tonight.
Yes, another year has passed. It's been quite a year for our family. I've seen my sons experience such growth in the last 12 months -- Eldest loving kindergarten, and Littlest thriving in preschool (after a shaky start) and with his development in general. I wonder if between the two of them we will ever see such combined leaps as bounds as we did this past year. It's been so much fun, too.
As for me, I'm not quite where I want to be, but I feel like I'm making progress. I wrote my first novel this year -- yes I actually got it done back in November. The freelancing has been mostly steady, but I still want to expand my contract work. I think I'm becoming a better dad and husband, but still think I can improve. There are more writing projects I want to undertake, but having finished the novel, I feel like there's nothing I can't accomplish now. My problem is just the daunting initial first step. Once I can overcome that, I think I could be OK -- the NaNoWriMo (the effort to write the book) proved that.
Life is so busy, and there won't be any slowing down for years. That's just how I want it, no matter how much I complain or how tired or discombobulated I feel. This is the life we've chose and designed, and we understand the commitment that comes with it. There's no other path I'd rather be taking.
The sunset isn't coming back tonight, and a breeze off the mountains is chilling the back of my bare shoulders exposed by the throwback John Stockton jersey I'm wearing today. The view us still something else, even without the sunset. I know I'm paraphrasing a movie ("City Slickers") as I conclude this, but I don't care: Today is my best day.
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