A Year in Summary

2011 isn't quite over, but I don't see much else interesting happening for me this year.  The year started with an amazing, wonderful bang and fizzled into...well, not much.

Needless to say, it has been a year of firsts for me.  Which is saying a lot...I think, considering what some of the firsts are. I have a special place in my heart for the people who shared these memories with me.

So here you go, 2011's Firsts in no particular order:

• drove from Colorado to Washington in 24 hours
• drove to San Diego and back
• went parasailing
• conquered my fear of roller coasters
• jumped out of a plane
• ended an 18 month court battle
• fell in love with someone really wonderful
• then got well acquainted with heartbreak
• flew enough to become an MVP
• flew in first class (but didn't pay first class prices)
• got kicked out of a bar
• got throw up drunk
• played beer pong
• went to a major league baseball game
• had Five Guys burgers and fries
• went to an In & Out
• went to a Sonic
• went to a ghost town
• went to Disneyland
• went to Sea World
• went hiking in Joshua Tree National Park
• toured the USS Midway
• played cosmic bowling
• rode a tram

There were a couple other cool things of a more personal nature, so I won't be sharing those.

Although, 2011 is ending pretty low and I'm hoping for better things in 2012,  I have to thank the people that made each of those events memorable. I have some really wonderful people in my life. I love them all very much.

May 2012 bring you all love, joy, and great memories.

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Seventeen Days

by KK Sierra.

Cheated. Betrayed. Lost.

Those three words seemed to describe most accurately what she felt as she stared at the computer screen trying to grasp what she had read.

He was breaking up with her...by email.

What had happened in 17 days to change, "I love you more than any other in life till now" to "This isn't possible right now, nor will it be in the future"?

He had been someone worthy. The kind of person you were proud to call your friend. Someone she respected immensely. Devoted to helping others, not selfishly pursuing a career that only benefited himself. He kept her guessing and she liked that, although she wished he didn't make her feel off-balance in the process. There was so much he kept to himself; she felt she could spend a lifetime figuring him out.

He had been her totem. No matter the distance or the craziness that surrounded her, he could bring her peace with a simple "good morning." He was too serious, and liked to tease her just to watch her get riled up.

She'd been cheated and didn't know why. There was so much she'd wanted to share, so many more memories to make. An evening picnic on the beach to watch the sun set. A camping trip perhaps. An offer to take her to a gun range. A desire to see him work magic with his camera. Hot chocolate and snowflakes. Their first New Year's Eve kiss.

Had she really misinterpreted everything he'd said and done? Had she been betrayed by him or her own heart? It had allowed her to forget her decade long lesson in trust. Had it blinded her too?

He changed. It all changed. She stood in the tattered remnants of their relationship unsure if she was the cause or simply left to deal with the effect.

Two weeks. A mere seventeen days from a happy contentment she hadn't felt in years to lost in a swirling abyss.

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Memories vs Mementos

When you think about the special times in your life how do you recall them? Is it a special memento you've obtained, photographs, or is it just your memories of the event?

You hear people say, "well, you've always got your memories." However, that's not always the case. My grandmother, for example, developed dementia before she passed away. The dementia stole her memories and in doing so, stole part of her. So much of who she was was the stories she shared. She was very smart and  read all the time. She loved to share the things she'd learned. It was heartbreaking to watch her try to recall events and facts.

On the other hand, things are also lost, stolen or destroyed. When there are fires or natural disasters, assuming there is no loss of life, the thing that people are saddest about isn't the loss of their home, as homes can be rebuilt, but the loss of their pictures and other special mementos.

I know for me I'm not big on having a bunch of cluttery mementos, but there are times, when I'd like to have something reminding me of those I love to hold close to my heart and pictures of their smiling faces to enjoy.