Sunday, January 3, 2010

Happy 2010--the Year of Elevation

Let the New Year and the new decade begin! Oh, yeah, they already did...a couple of days ago!

We had a nice Christmas dinner with the Hospitality crew and a quiet weekend after. I was still unpacking and doing laundry and mostly stayed inside. Had a busy week at work, playing catch-up and preparing for our big auction fundraiser coming in February. We both worked New Year's Eve day and are not big party people, content to spend the evening at home, though we did have a fab dessert of apple cinnamon bread pudding with caramel sauce and whipped cream. Decadent! The City of Unalaska provides us with a fireworks extravaganza at 11:59 PM, something that we usually attend, but this year we were old fogeys and watched the show from our bed. Pretty cool to live in a place where the fireworks display is in full view from our bedroom window, huh? It was just as spectacular from a distance and lasted a good long while. I think we both fell asleep within minutes of the finale.

Rich worked part of New Year's Day. I was invited to a "girls'" get-together and had a great time hanging out, chatting, eating and watching part of "Julie and Julia" with friends. I'd already made plans to meet another friend at 3 so skedaddled out of one gathering and onto the next, having another lovely time discussing and laughing. Thanks, gals! I was afraid I was going to have to spend New Year's Day alone but it ended up being a full and fun day.

So I have been thinking about resolutions and how I really don't like them all that much. I am inconsistent with them and don't have the best follow through. I don't think I made any last year. Well, I was going after the 100 Book Challenge and you see how miserably I did with that! I've been browsing around the internet and came across the idea of setting a "theme" for the year. Someone might have the theme of harmony, for example, and she will try to keep the idea foremost in her mind as she goes about her daily life, making decisions and taking on tasks. Or you might choose communication, or trust, or love, or whatever it is that you would like to concentrate on. After my initial response, "What a cool idea--I think I am going to have a theme for the year," I simply could not decide on my theme. Who would have thought it would be so hard?! Although several came to mind, none seemed exactly right for me. I was kinda obsessing over it a little bit but couldn't make up my mind. Then, lying in bed the other night, the U2 song "Elevation" started playing in my head. Suddenly I knew I had my theme for 2010! "To elevate" has different levels of meaning: to move to a higher state, to lift up, to raise to a higher intellectual or spiritual level, to raise the spirits, to raise the voice. As with resolutions, a theme is very personal and has its own meaning to the individual choosing it. I like the layers and nuances of meaning and can relate them to various areas of my life. And I just like the sound of it...an inspiring, uplifting word. So I'm off on the Year of Elevation...stay tuned for reports from the heights.

What's your theme for 2010?

2 comments:

Kathi said...

A theme for the year is a great idea. I will have to think on it. Like you, I have lots of ideas running around in my head, but I want that U2 kind of experience to speak to me before I decide! I am also wondering why everywhere we look, we see the "end of a decade." Shouldn't 2010 be the last year of a decade- don't they go in 10's??? I'm confused! If you go back to the beginning, you wouldn't start with year zero- you'd start with year one, right? :) whatever...guess I should speak to a math person.

Gigi said...

Yeah, that is confusing. I guess it's ten years if you start with 2000 and end in 2009. Maybe Bonnie can shed some light!