Final 2006 Post

It's holiday time, so of course I've been thinking a lot about family/familiarity. What makes someone family, even if you don't know a person very well? The glasses turned upright or down in the cabinet? The smell of a particular lotion or shampoo? The morning ritual of coffee, TV, paper, or a combination of, or none of the above? How does someone become family? Or leave a family behind? I don't know where I'm going with that train of thought, I'm just mulling.

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Thanks to listening to West Coast Live yesterday, I found out that "nostalgia" means "pain of remembering"--"algia" meaning pain, duh! I've always thought of that word in a "wistfulness of remembering" kinda way, but pain does seem more apt. Not in a "this memory" is painful, but in an overall realization that how quickly time passes/is passing pain. Sigh.

I know it's good to reflect, and I'm reflecting on 2006 while trying to put together our New Year's card (which is coming out decidedly uninspired, oh well). I don't have any incisive conclusions to draw about last year, but I do anticipate that 2007 will be a challenging year for both M and me. In good ways, yes, but I suspect that finding the balance between work, school, home, and nurturing our marriage is going to be difficult. Well, time enough for home and self when I'm retired.

We were actually social last night and had dinner with one of M's friends from school. He and his wife have four kids, ages 5-8. His wife made a comment about how the most complicated time in her life was when the oldest were toddlers, and she really had to think, hard, about everything she said and every decision she made. And I think that's the part I'm really having to adjust to at work. I suddenly have people looking to me to make decisions and provide leadership, which I've never really had before, I've always been sort of an independent operator. I want to do well and make a difference, and I can--but it will take more sustained strategic thinking than I've ever put out before…yes, even more than I've applied to the direction of my life in general. I can see that it's going to take time and work, and while I know that it will eventually get easier, I also know that it's going to take a while to get to that point.

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Speaking of work, one of my first and best bosses was mentioned in an article in The New York Times! Debbie was really great to work for, and it's wonderful to see her recognized so publicly.

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I've posted a few more pics on my Flickr page.