2007: The Year That Was

In the custom of the season, I wanted to take a look back before taking a look forward. 2007 was a year of many changes for me, and it’s probably a good idea to take stock at this time of year.

• March: We lost Brooke’s dad to cancer, which has been tough on both of us. Jim had survived lots of things and it was sad to see him go at the relatively young age of 73. His booming Scottish brogue (both spoken and sung) is sorely missed. Although I lost my mum a full twenty years ago, the death of a parent at this stage of life always reminds us of our own aging and mortality.
• March: For the first (and hopefully not last) time, I chaired a panel at South by Southwest. After six years of attending, I decided to contribute a little, suggesting and then moderating a panel called “Ghost in the Machine: Spirituality on the Web.” Although I’m not repeating in 2008, I hope to be able to do something like it again soon. It was immensely rewarding for me and I got to meet some of my online heroes for the first (and hopefully not last!) time.
• March: I started a new weblog, gathering all my film reviewing into its own space. Efforts to make it a group blog have met with limited success, but I’m really enjoying all the new people I’ve met through Toronto Screen Shots.
• August: We moved to a bigger apartment, on a higher floor. We have more room and a great view of Lake Ontario. Unfortunately, now that it’s winter, our 27th floor pad feels more like an eyrie, with the cold Metric winds howling all night long.
• August: I changed jobs, from being the jack-of-all-trades web guy at a small but market-leading wine importing agency to being a web producer-writer at a huge “Big Four” accounting/professional services firm. The jury is still out on whether this is a good long-term fit for me, but I like having a bit more change in my pockets.
• October: Celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary and our tenth year as a couple. I hope we’re beginning to get the hang of this.
• October-November: Brooke and I took our annual holiday, this time to Havana. It was perhaps the strangest holiday we’ve ever taken together and I’m still not sure I’m ready or able to write about it. From almost-missed flights to a broken camera to illness, it almost felt like we shouldn’t have gone. Now that we’re back, I almost can’t remember being there. Our pictures are terrible, but at least they’re evidence.
• November: Celebrated the marriage of our friends Philip and Ian, finally tying the knot after fifteen years together. Congratulations, guys!

Plans for 2008, though subject to change and the will of the Universe, include:

• January: Visiting New York City for the first time since I was a small boy. We’re planning to see the United Nations, the NYC Ballet, maybe some theatre, the Nintendo World store and some good food.
• March: Attending my 8th South by Southwest, staying a few extra days (like last year) to enjoy more films and music.
• September: Holidaying in Iceland and covering the Reykjavik International Film Festival.
• Yearlong: connecting and reconnecting with new and old friends, being the best husband I can be, overcoming my shyness to love people more, rewiring my spiritual self to remove some scar tissue, continuing to figure out how to use more of myself at work.

Here’s to 2008, cyberfriends!