Reflections on 2009

It is the last day of the year. We are in a very wet Madrid getting ready to welcome in 2010. And my mind starts to reflect on the year gone by.

It has not been a great year. I went to three funerals, and would have attended a couple more had I been around. One of those took place early this week. And all were of friends hardly older than myself. Some other friends and relatives have taken ill during the year and will struggle to survive though next year.

All of that is very sad, but does of course put my problems in perspective. I have not greatly enjoyed work in 2009, I have frittered away a lot of my leisure time and I have procractinated when things needed to be done. All of which has been frustrating, but all of which can be improved in 2010.

So without the time to do a long, deep reflection on the year, I would simply class 2009 as a wasted year in many respects. But I am where I am. I cannot return to times and places now passed. So I should be thankful for my life, my friends, my family and especially my loving partner, Andrew. And I move on to a better and hopefully more interesting year in 2010.

We are going out this evening to a restaurant in the Chueca district of Madrid to see in 2010 Spanish style. Then tomorrow we take the train to Malaga.

I hope all friends enjoy New Year and achieve in 2010 whatever they wish for themselves. It is the first year of the rest of my life, and I will make the most of it.