2022; 2021; 2020; 2019;2018; 2017; 2016; 2015; 2014; 2000-2009
Was 2023 a good year for you?
Yes, but not unequivocally. Whilst I have definitely made some progress on the whole "not taking on too much" project, it's still not exactly my strong point, and although I have avoided getting full-on burn out, I've defintely spent more time teetering on the brink thereof than I would have liked. I've also been increasingly conscious of and sad about how little I get to see of most of my closest friends, but failing to find the energy to actually do much about that, because of aforementioned edge-of-burnout-ness. And there were some fairly significant disappointments from Cambridge and from the church.
But there have been some very good things. I really enjoyed my A-levels and learned a lot from them, and I think the rejection from Cambridge will turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Being a spiritual director is a wonderful part of my life, and feels like one of the most important things I've ever done. Being an uncle to a child who lives one rather than several thousand miles away has been an incredible joy. And I continue to get to live with two of my favourite people in a beautiful house in a city I love. Finally, a lot of what has made 2023 challenging has been putting in the work that will make 2024 awesome.
What did you do in 2023 that you'd never done before?
Took A-levels in essay subjects, did the Alpha course, got rejected from Cambridge, completed my initial formation as a Spiritual Director, sang the Fauré Requiem (and some other new-to-me music, but that's the one that really stood out)
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any last year. This year, I am resolving to not take on too much.
Did someone close to you give birth?
Yes, my middle sister. My niece is now nearly one, and this week I was there as she took her first unsupported steps. I am so besotted it isn't even funny.
Did anyone close to you die?
No.
What countries did you visit?
Wales, Belgium.
What would you like to have in 2024 that you lacked in 2023?
A place on a theology degree. More time free from responsibilities.
What events from 2023 will remain etched upon your memory
Getting rejected from Cambridge, and realising that the Leuven theology curriculum looks like an even better fit for me.
What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Doing two A-levels in one year at the same time as working almost full time, and not letting any of the other balls drop too badly.
What was your biggest failure(s)?
I could say not getting into Cambridge, or not getting better results in my A-levels, but neither of those actually feels like a failure.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
I caught Covid a couple of times, although once was sufficiently mildly that I only realised I had it because I was meeting up with someone clinically vulnerable, and thought it best to test out of (what turned out not to be) an abundance of caution.
There was also recovery from stage 3 of my phalloplasty.
What was the best thing you bought?
My armchair! Two months later it continues to give me a ridiculous amount of pleasure.
Where did most of your money go?
This is more of a guess than usual, as I'm still a bit behind on my personal accounts, but I think probably charity, mortgage, groceries & bills, holiday, armchair, a new computer, restaurants, books, yarn in roughly that order...
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Iona!
Also Leuven and spiritual direction and singing and playing recorder and theology and languages and baking and tunisian crochet and my armchair.
Compared to this time last year, are you...
i. Happier or sadder? About the same. Maybe a little sadder, because looking back at last year's version of this I was at a particularly high point, but I feel as though my baseline level of contentment and satisfaction are about the same.
ii. Richer or poorer? Richer. This will not be the case next year...
iii. Healthier or iller? Mentally about the same. Physically probably a little less healthy, as I've been very inactive, but I think I should have space next year to turn that around, and I don't have any health /problems/ per se.
What do you wish you'd done more of?
Seeing friends.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
I don't actually wish I'd done less paid work or church admin, because the former means I'm now in a better position to do less of it for the next three years, and the latter had to be done, but I am looking forward to doing less of them in the future.
How did you spend Christmas?
Very similarly to last year, at home with my sister and niece and some of Robert's family, but this time Iona was on the outside :) We wildly overcatered (again), and are still making our way through the cheese mountain...
How was your religious year?
Much less eventful than the previous one!
Did you fall in love in 2022?
No.
How many one-night stands?
None
How has your romantic life been generally
For the last two years I've said "![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
obandsoller and I continue to be very much in love and to grow together in mutual support and comfort. I would like it if we had more time together when neither of us were exhausted, but we do a very good job of carrying the load for one another. I occasionally think that it would be nice to have a secondary relationship, but then I think about how much effort dating takes and recoil in horror." and it continues to apply.
What has your professional life been like this year?
Hectic. After having only worked three days/week the previous year I went back up to almost full time, split between two different clients. I was doing fairly similar work for both of them, which worked out quite well, as a lot of it was the sort of problem-solving stuff that carried over quite effectively, so they were both getting pretty good value for money. There was a big sector-wide deadline originally set for mid October, although it ended up getting repeatedly pushed back, but both my client institutions managed to submit in December, which was quite satisfying.
The fact that everyone's been working towards this deadline meant that there's been a big spike in demand for people with my skills for the last couple of years, which has obviously been great for my prices. I suspect that demand will continue to be high for the next year or two as people try to change the systems that they cobbled together with bits of string and stickyback plastic in order to meet the deadline into something a bit more sustainable, but that then it will gradually go back to normal.
What is the best thing you created in 2023?
I baked some excellent cakes, and crocheted a jumper that I'm rather pleased with.
What were the best books you read?
Once again I failed to record what I've read, but I did rather enjoy God: An Anatomy by Francesca Stavrakopoulou, whose thesis is that everything is basically a metaphor for God's penis. I jest slightly, and this is actually a really good and wide-ranging look at the ideas about the embodiment of God reflected in the Bible, and the thesis is more that the idea of God as transcendent is a relatively recent one, and that the early israelites had a much more physical conception, which is reflected in a lot of the language which was probably intended fairly literally at the time, but has now been recast as just a metaphor. (But also a lot of things are a metaphor for God's penis)
What were your favourite musical discoveries this year?
Can I say Fauré's Requiem? Obviously I was familiar with it before, but it's different when you get to sing it...
What did you want and get?
Erections!
What did you want and not get?
A place to study theology at Cambridge
What was/were your favourite film/s and plays this year?
I have been to shockingly little theatre this year, so this is more "what plays have you seen this year?", but they were all excellent: Die Walkure, La Cage aux Folles, The Government Inspector.
What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I think I mostly lay in bed, because I was still recovering from surgery... I was 42.
Who and what kept you sane?
I continued to stay sane without really struggling.
Who did you miss?
Lots of people, as mentioned in the first question, but I think most of allthemidnightgirl, because we've been much less good at meeting for dinner since she moved out of London, and unlike most of my other emotionally close but physically distant people, we don't have regular online activities together. In fact, I think I might make a second resolution to be more active in making dinner plans.
Who was the best new person you met?
Iona! Honorable mention to Gaëlle, my French language exchange partner, whom I met in person whilst we were on holiday in Belgium.
What are you looking forward to most in 2024?
Copied from last year: (Assuming I get in,) studying theology formally
Also the long retreat that I'm about to start. Also Ardgour-en-France.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2023?
My 2022 lesson was 'Do less!' I think my 2023 one is that doing less needs to be a constant and active decision, because if I don't watch myself like a hawk then I will suddenly find that I've committed about 150% of the time I have available when I wasn't looking...
Was 2023 a good year for you?
Yes, but not unequivocally. Whilst I have definitely made some progress on the whole "not taking on too much" project, it's still not exactly my strong point, and although I have avoided getting full-on burn out, I've defintely spent more time teetering on the brink thereof than I would have liked. I've also been increasingly conscious of and sad about how little I get to see of most of my closest friends, but failing to find the energy to actually do much about that, because of aforementioned edge-of-burnout-ness. And there were some fairly significant disappointments from Cambridge and from the church.
But there have been some very good things. I really enjoyed my A-levels and learned a lot from them, and I think the rejection from Cambridge will turn out to be a blessing in disguise. Being a spiritual director is a wonderful part of my life, and feels like one of the most important things I've ever done. Being an uncle to a child who lives one rather than several thousand miles away has been an incredible joy. And I continue to get to live with two of my favourite people in a beautiful house in a city I love. Finally, a lot of what has made 2023 challenging has been putting in the work that will make 2024 awesome.
What did you do in 2023 that you'd never done before?
Took A-levels in essay subjects, did the Alpha course, got rejected from Cambridge, completed my initial formation as a Spiritual Director, sang the Fauré Requiem (and some other new-to-me music, but that's the one that really stood out)
Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
I didn't make any last year. This year, I am resolving to not take on too much.
Did someone close to you give birth?
Yes, my middle sister. My niece is now nearly one, and this week I was there as she took her first unsupported steps. I am so besotted it isn't even funny.
Did anyone close to you die?
No.
What countries did you visit?
Wales, Belgium.
What would you like to have in 2024 that you lacked in 2023?
A place on a theology degree. More time free from responsibilities.
What events from 2023 will remain etched upon your memory
Getting rejected from Cambridge, and realising that the Leuven theology curriculum looks like an even better fit for me.
What was your biggest achievement(s) of the year?
Doing two A-levels in one year at the same time as working almost full time, and not letting any of the other balls drop too badly.
What was your biggest failure(s)?
I could say not getting into Cambridge, or not getting better results in my A-levels, but neither of those actually feels like a failure.
Did you suffer illness or injury?
I caught Covid a couple of times, although once was sufficiently mildly that I only realised I had it because I was meeting up with someone clinically vulnerable, and thought it best to test out of (what turned out not to be) an abundance of caution.
There was also recovery from stage 3 of my phalloplasty.
What was the best thing you bought?
My armchair! Two months later it continues to give me a ridiculous amount of pleasure.
Where did most of your money go?
This is more of a guess than usual, as I'm still a bit behind on my personal accounts, but I think probably charity, mortgage, groceries & bills, holiday, armchair, a new computer, restaurants, books, yarn in roughly that order...
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Iona!
Also Leuven and spiritual direction and singing and playing recorder and theology and languages and baking and tunisian crochet and my armchair.
Compared to this time last year, are you...
i. Happier or sadder? About the same. Maybe a little sadder, because looking back at last year's version of this I was at a particularly high point, but I feel as though my baseline level of contentment and satisfaction are about the same.
ii. Richer or poorer? Richer. This will not be the case next year...
iii. Healthier or iller? Mentally about the same. Physically probably a little less healthy, as I've been very inactive, but I think I should have space next year to turn that around, and I don't have any health /problems/ per se.
What do you wish you'd done more of?
Seeing friends.
What do you wish you'd done less of?
I don't actually wish I'd done less paid work or church admin, because the former means I'm now in a better position to do less of it for the next three years, and the latter had to be done, but I am looking forward to doing less of them in the future.
How did you spend Christmas?
Very similarly to last year, at home with my sister and niece and some of Robert's family, but this time Iona was on the outside :) We wildly overcatered (again), and are still making our way through the cheese mountain...
How was your religious year?
Much less eventful than the previous one!
Did you fall in love in 2022?
No.
How many one-night stands?
None
How has your romantic life been generally
For the last two years I've said "
obandsoller and I continue to be very much in love and to grow together in mutual support and comfort. I would like it if we had more time together when neither of us were exhausted, but we do a very good job of carrying the load for one another. I occasionally think that it would be nice to have a secondary relationship, but then I think about how much effort dating takes and recoil in horror." and it continues to apply.What has your professional life been like this year?
Hectic. After having only worked three days/week the previous year I went back up to almost full time, split between two different clients. I was doing fairly similar work for both of them, which worked out quite well, as a lot of it was the sort of problem-solving stuff that carried over quite effectively, so they were both getting pretty good value for money. There was a big sector-wide deadline originally set for mid October, although it ended up getting repeatedly pushed back, but both my client institutions managed to submit in December, which was quite satisfying.
The fact that everyone's been working towards this deadline meant that there's been a big spike in demand for people with my skills for the last couple of years, which has obviously been great for my prices. I suspect that demand will continue to be high for the next year or two as people try to change the systems that they cobbled together with bits of string and stickyback plastic in order to meet the deadline into something a bit more sustainable, but that then it will gradually go back to normal.
What is the best thing you created in 2023?
I baked some excellent cakes, and crocheted a jumper that I'm rather pleased with.
What were the best books you read?
Once again I failed to record what I've read, but I did rather enjoy God: An Anatomy by Francesca Stavrakopoulou, whose thesis is that everything is basically a metaphor for God's penis. I jest slightly, and this is actually a really good and wide-ranging look at the ideas about the embodiment of God reflected in the Bible, and the thesis is more that the idea of God as transcendent is a relatively recent one, and that the early israelites had a much more physical conception, which is reflected in a lot of the language which was probably intended fairly literally at the time, but has now been recast as just a metaphor. (But also a lot of things are a metaphor for God's penis)
What were your favourite musical discoveries this year?
Can I say Fauré's Requiem? Obviously I was familiar with it before, but it's different when you get to sing it...
What did you want and get?
Erections!
What did you want and not get?
A place to study theology at Cambridge
What was/were your favourite film/s and plays this year?
I have been to shockingly little theatre this year, so this is more "what plays have you seen this year?", but they were all excellent: Die Walkure, La Cage aux Folles, The Government Inspector.
What did you do on your birthday and how old were you?
I think I mostly lay in bed, because I was still recovering from surgery... I was 42.
Who and what kept you sane?
I continued to stay sane without really struggling.
Who did you miss?
Lots of people, as mentioned in the first question, but I think most of all
themidnightgirl, because we've been much less good at meeting for dinner since she moved out of London, and unlike most of my other emotionally close but physically distant people, we don't have regular online activities together. In fact, I think I might make a second resolution to be more active in making dinner plans.Who was the best new person you met?
Iona! Honorable mention to Gaëlle, my French language exchange partner, whom I met in person whilst we were on holiday in Belgium.
What are you looking forward to most in 2024?
Copied from last year: (Assuming I get in,) studying theology formally
Also the long retreat that I'm about to start. Also Ardgour-en-France.
Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2023?
My 2022 lesson was 'Do less!' I think my 2023 one is that doing less needs to be a constant and active decision, because if I don't watch myself like a hawk then I will suddenly find that I've committed about 150% of the time I have available when I wasn't looking...
no subject
Date: 2024-01-03 06:51 am (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-01-03 08:48 am (UTC)From:Also your response to "what did you want and get" made me laugh. :)
no subject
Date: 2024-01-03 12:11 pm (UTC)From:All the best for 2024
no subject
Date: 2024-01-03 05:03 pm (UTC)From:no subject
Date: 2024-01-03 10:14 pm (UTC)From:Leuven seems very exciting. Will you start in September, assuming you get in?