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The Turns We Took



There's a reason why the ending of The Muppet Movie always tugs at my heart. Doesn't matter if I'm depressed or happy when I watch one of my favorite movies. The lump in my throat or the tears that come out of my eyes are from this reminder about life: When things fall apart after you think you're finally on track with your life, you find beauty and answers you've longed for over the years.

I've often come back to this final movie sequence in my adult life. This year, it resonates more than ever.

In 2014, I said goodbye to Juliet, the dog that cemented my love of dogs for the rest of my life. I also said goodbye to Sunny, a dog who lived a very long life that let me be in her life despite being frail, hard of hearing and seeing. As a result, every single day I get to spend with the dogs I have is a gift. They are there for me on the best days and the worst days, which I've had many of both this year.

I was heartbroken when word passed along that my friend Laura died after a very long fight with cancer. She never stopped being positive about her life, even when things seemed the most grim. A few weeks later, my friend and mentor Dwight had a heart attack during a routine procedure. I saw him on life support with his wife by his side, and I went to his standing-room-only funeral the following week. The man impacted that many people in his 82 years on this planet.

And then there was my friend Evan, who died unexpectedly during the final week of October. Writing about him was helpful in the days immediately following his death, but the acceptance of his death is only beginning to settle in.

I had to come to terms with a two-year relationship coming to an end. As painful as it was to see her go from my everyday life, I can't begin to tell you how thankful I am that we remain friends. She let me adopt her dog Truvy, paying me one of the nicest compliments I've ever heard: "There's no one else I would even consider having her."

Add in the wild ride of my job situation. As tough as it was to see a promising new direction in my career end so quickly, I thank a higher power for me landing a new full-time job only a few hours later. Couple that with another year with the Observer and more opportunities to write in the content marketing field, I'm over-joyed to say for the first time in my life that I'm happy with my job situation.

I finally put out When We Were the Kids. Much of that came from seeing Video Games: The Movie at the Texas Theatre. The guy who made it is from Dallas and made something for the world to enjoy. Since I need a constant reminder of that idea, that's why I have a signed poster from the director hanging in my bedroom. It's a reminder of following through on what I want to do, even if I have to wait and deal with hang-ups along the way. 

Dealing with the abrupt changes and turns came in the form of traveling and taking many walks with my dogs. I drove to Round Rock and saw a friend from college get ready to become a first-time father. Helping him and his wife set up the baby's room allowed me to get out of my head and do something positive. I flew to Los Angeles just to do a podcast. I drove to St. Louis hoping to see a show that wound up getting cancelled. I made the most of my time there, seeing touristy things, and was lucky to have lunch my friend Donna in Conway, Arkansas on the way back.

Donna is a very spiritual woman. As she gave me a big hug during our parting, she said, "Hopefully the heavens will open up and bring joy into your life." I'm happy to say they did.

Having my friend Joel move into the spare bedroom in my house has been wonderful. The guy's a voice of reason and great person to have around. On weekends, we watch Manchester City play football and dig through various record store shelves for white whales in our respective vinyl collections. And the dogs love him, too.

Also, some people I haven't seen in years are a welcome sight. I might not see them everyday, but when I do, I love catching up with them. 

Despite some down days during the holiday season, I'm ending the year feeling optimistic. Not just about the immediate future, but the future down the line. I really don't have any reason to think overly-pessimistic thoughts, but sometimes I do. I've learned a lot from the turns in life this year, and the effects of them don't necessarily dissipate at midnight tonight. Here's to a happy new year and a desire to keep moving forward even with the knocks and turns that come out of the blue.

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