2009 - What a Year! (12-29-08)

Before I wrote this “end of the year retrospective,” I re-read the same column I wrote from this time last year. I called 2007 my “favorite year,” coining the title of a play in which one of my nephews had performed.

Looking back over what I had written, 2007 did have two wonderful developments in the birth of our daughter Natalie, and in my switch to an elementary school principal. However, the year was also filled with devastating storms, and the illness of my mom, so as I look back on it now, I think calling 2007 my “favorite year” was nothing more than a ill-thought play on words.

Last year, I predicted that 2008 would see the recovery of my mom and that it would be my new “favorite year.” I have rarely been so wrong.

Two-Thousand and Eight began very sadly with the passing of my beloved mother, and ended with one of the worst financial crisis in our country’s history. The year brought more devastating weather, a couple of contentious elections, and the loss of almost five percent of our total student enrollment in just one year.

However, there is no denying that the year was historic. The nomination of the first republican woman for vice-president, and the election of the first multi-cultural president will be read about in the history books (or on history websites) by my grandkids and their grandkids and will forever by part of our national lore. I feel honored to be living at such a historic time.

That alone made 2008 quite a year. But there was so much more to 2008. It was also the first time in fifty years that our school district attempted to pass a bond issue. The year saw gas prices reach an all time high, and then plummet to four-year lows. The year brought major classroom changes at the grade school and a much-needed minor aesthetic improvements to all our school.

Two-thousand and eight brought our ag-department a green house, and ended with the closing of a landmark, Longfellow Middle School. It brought the formation of a new recreation commission and the hiring of Graham County’s first recreation director, Chris Gansel. Finally, this year ended with Cully Jackson, one of Hill City’s most beloved teachers and most respected coaches, moving to the other end of the state to support his wife in the joyous occasion of her new career. Mr. Jackson will be sorely missed, but we wish him and his family all the best.

This year was a year of reconnections. In the passing of my mom, 2008 held an incredible family reunion of aunts, uncles, cousins, and second cousins I had not seen in years. Since the big event, I have reconnected with some members of my geographically scattered extended family. In fact, about a month ago, I joined Facebook, and on-line service that helps you easily find and communicate with dozens of old acquaintances and thousands of new people. Through the power of the Internet, I am now reconnected to former students, their parents, past colleagues, and family I hadn’t talked to in years. Through Facebook, I was even contacted by an old high school buddy who I hadn’t seen or spoken with in thirteen years. On Christmas day, I called him at his Virginia home and we talked and talked, reminiscing over the old days, and catching up on the years we grew apart.

All in all, 2008 was not my favorite year. I’ve decided to forego that phrase all together. Every year is filled with joys and sorrows, triumphs and defeats, things to remember, and things best forgotten. This year just was a little bigger, a little more historic, a little more connected, and little more memorable than most.

The important thing for me to keep in perspective is that 2008 is now in the past. As always, I try to keep looking ahead, focusing on the future, and always striving to make the next year better than the one before.

Happy New Year!