10 things that brought me joy this year

winding down 2022 by taking stock of the good stuff

I’m not one for making resolutions; I never keep them and it just makes me feel bad. Instead, I take stock of the year, counting all the things that brought me joy, and vow to keep more of that in my life in the coming year. It’s not a resolution, per se, it’s just a promise to continue to seek out things that make me smile or feel good, and seek out ways to make sure others have that in their lives.

So let’s take a trip through 2022 by going over the things (not people, that would be a whole other post) that made me happy. They are not in any particular order.

1. I already told you about the music I listened to this year, so I won’t recap that. As far as media goes, I watched quite a few (for me) movies. ELVIS was fantastic. I loved every minute of it, especially Tom Hanks, which is high praise for me as I don’t really care for his movies. I watched WEIRD, the Weird Al “documentary” and it was fun as hell. That’s it for movies that came out this year. Films I watched in 2022 that did not come out this year: FARGO (5 stars), SPEED RACER (wild, wild, movie that I will watch again), BILLY MADISON (now I get all of my kids’ references) and ENCINO MAN, which was delightful. I need to better about new movies, but there are so many old movies I want to catch up on.

2. Weed. In the past year, I have become a big proponent of marijuana as self-medication. What does it do for me? It quiets the voices in my head. It takes the edge off my anxiety. It makes me forget my depression. It lets me feel for a little while like my brain is normal because weed shuts off the obsessive, intrusive thoughts in my head. It’s also been great in helping me heal because when I’m high I tend to come to grips with my feelings and meet them head. It’s when I spit truth to myself. And to be perfectly honest, I just really enjoy being high. I don’t really drink, I don’t smoke cigarettes, girl’s gotta have a vice.

3. My record/CD collection really grew this year. I added so many old albums (Velvet Underground, The Hold Steady, Faith No More, etc.), finished some collections, and bought a ton of new music. I had to buy more shelves and it looks like I will need even more in the coming year. I love knowing I’m being good to the artist by buying physical copies of albums, and I love the way the sound of an album or CD fills my living room. (I bought a Bose CD player which sounds great). Records are the only thing I collect now, and they bring me such joy.

4. twitter. I know there’s a lot of bad stuff happening with it now thanks to Mr. Musk, but I’m sticking around until he pulls the plug. Twitter is where I spend my most time when I’m plugged in. It’s where my friends are. It’s where I am seen and heard and comforted; where I laugh and listen and learn. It’s a place where I get to make people laugh and nothing feels as good as that. I’ve made so many friends on twitter, people who will still be in my life even when the site goes down, and I am forever grateful for this.

5. Having my gallbladder removed. I got no joy out of the pain and discomfort I was in pre-hospital. There was no joy to be found in laying in a hospital bed for a week, or being laid up at home for six weeks because I wasn’t healing right. But I was glad to get rid of a body part that was causing me problems, and I remain forever thankful to everyone who made me feel loved and cared for during that time.

6. All the small things. I discovered Australian licorice and it’s the most delightful candy I’ve ever had. My bosses sent me a blanket when I was down and out and it’s so soft and comforting and every time I use it I think about what a thoughtful get well gift that was. I made myself espresso con panna and was overjoyed at how good it was. I perfected my spaghetti puttanesca. My hydrangeas bloomed with the most amazing bold colors this year. I got to see two of my favorite bands - Foxing and Taking Back Sunday - in a small venue five minutes from my house.

7. My union. I was able to use the sick bank when I was out for six weeks thank to their efforts in securing that for us. They also negotiated a new contract for us for 2023, including retro pay. Unions rock. Solidarity forever.

8. Card night/Yahtzee night. Every Tuesday night my sister Jo-Anne and I go over to my parents’ house for dinner and cards. It gives us a way to spend some time together. My mom is going to be 83 tomorrow and I want to enjoy every moment we can together. On Thursday nights, I get on Zoom with Jo-Anne and with Lisa in Rhode Island and we play Yahtzee together. I look so forward to this. It keeps us close with Lisa while she’s far away.

9. Writing. This newsletter has been a saving grace for me. Writing here has been cathartic and therapeutic and I feel like I’m getting better at it, and better at life, as I go along. I’ve discovered so much about myself just by writing out my thoughts. And the joy I get when someone tells me they got something out of my essays or they felt something, that’s unparalleled. I appreciate every one of you who has subscribed or reads off of my twitter links. I enjoy doing this so much and I hope to continue it for a long time. This year also saw me get a piece in Billboard, and I wrote several essays on baseball for Willets Pen.

10. Being Alone. Yes, I have found joy in being alone. I have learned to live with myself, to love myself, to spend time with myself that isn’t just moping or being extremely sad. I’ve been reading and writing without feeling like engaging in hobbies is taking time away from someone else. I’ve made peace with the fact that I am alone (but not lonely) and try to use that time productively now, inasmuch as relaxing is productive. I like my alone time. I like having the tv to myself. I like blasting my music. I like talking out loud to my dog. Learning to enjoy my own company has made me a better person.

We’re almost at the end of 2022. In many ways, I’ll be happy to see this year gone, as I didn’t feel good for most of it, but I’m glad to stop and recount the many joys I’ve experienced in the last twelve months. Feel free to get into the comments and tell me something that brought you joy this year.

I won’t be writing again before Sunday so I want to wish all of you who do celebrate a very merry Christmas. May you feel peace and joy and comfort.

I leave you with the new song I listened to the most in 2022, a song that sounds as joyful as you can get.