Nothing Spectacular

Alright so 2008 has been gone for a few hours…well days…now. Soooo, just for the fun of it, a list of highlights…or in some cases major upheavals…that I lived through in ‘08

~ Made three new friends

~ Became close to one of the new found friends

~ Started this silly blog

~ Became even closer to one other new found friend

~ Fell in love

~ Dated for the first time

~ Started writing little articles in addition to poems

~ Successfully finished two semester of ASL (American Sign Language) classes

~ Acquired two more kittens (Alphy [Kitten Alfredo] & Alexander [Zanders])

~ Successfully finished 11th grade with a bang

~ Spent time with my loved one

~ Went to several graduation parties

~ Took a hike with my love to her favorite “secret” spot on one of the mountains of Pine Mountain Club (one of the best times)

~ Met a pretty trippy guy named Ray (we keep in touch)

~ Spent more time with my love…and had some very special moments

~ Attended the funeral of an old man who helped raise me

~ Learned that I’m to self-centered for love and such a relationship; my love, our time together ended (we still talk on occasion)

~ Broke my own heart

~ Learned that someone is interested in me….and I’m not sure if I’m interested back

~ Changed my writing style somewhat

~ Almost died

~ Spent two weeks in a hospital

~ Spent an additional week in a different (kind of) hospital

~ Recovered at home for a while

~ Discovered I like Japanese Music

~ Took a trip to Washington state to visit my mother’s side of the family (had a wonderful time)

~ Held my two baby cousins for the first time

~ Spent an entire day on a river with my uncle Tom and my cousin Cloe

~ Someone thought I was homosexual and spread the word (ha the aftermath of that was fun)

~ Oh yes and swam about every day of summer

~ Started 12th grade like any other

~ Sailed the Channel Islands for five days assisting the ship’s crew teach elementary and junior high students marine biology and basic sail training with four other high school students (all friends of mine, but one a very close friend) (was absolutely fantastic, another great experience of ‘08)

~ Became even closer to an already close friend (didn’t think it was possible)

~ Wrote a paper on my friend Steven for an English project…and it earned an A (Steven was super thrilled haha)

~ Acquired four kittens that now live at my grandparents home (Lancelot, Gawain, Gwenevere, and Charlemagne…I finally was able to name all the cats of one litter ha-ha-ha)

~ Made a few new friends

~ Became close to a newly found friend

~ Made a trip up the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains of California (played in a small, but freezing cold, river)

~ Attended the funeral of an old woman who used to live next door to me; who’s yard I would go to play in and who’s grand-daughter I would play with when I was much younger.

~ Took in a new pet spider, a tarantula, that my father found for me at work (now I have two spiders: a funnel web named Octavian and a tarantula named Epyon)

~ Learned that just about every 9th and 10th grade girl at my school has some kind of little crush on me…which I find slightly irritating considering most of them are pathetically immature (most but not all)

~ Discovered that a friend of mine has feelings for me…I kinda have them back

~ Went to a swim meet to watch a friend do what she enjoys doing (swimming)

Yep. Of course there’s a lot more, but again this was just a list of major happenings. A lot of things happened for the first time this year. I must admit, this past year was quite the learning experience. Not only did I learn much about other people and their nature, but I learned quite a bit about myself. It’s odd, when you look inside yourself and find something unknown and unexpected wrapped up deep within your core.

“ ‘Ignorance is bliss.’ That is not always true. If you are ignorant of some idea or passion held inside yourself…or are ignorant of how you affect your fellow human, or how your fellow human truly affects you, you are not happy, for you are constantly chasing answers and solutions…trying to understand why you feel the way you do. If you don’t truly understand yourself, how can you possibly understand anyone or anything else? The more you learn about yourself, the more you will be able to understand others, and the more contented and happy you will be.”

This idea I was forced to acknowledge, perhaps truly for the first time. This is what I learned in ‘08 above anything else.

To further understand…to further grow…to further investigate all in the name of progress and happiness. That is what each year is for…to further yourself.

Well then, I’m hoping that ‘09 is filled with less drama…so far so good.