Calling It A Year

One Street: Market Square, Shipley #8

My blip tells me that this year started with a complete washout and it has finished in much the same way. It's a sign that things are bad when this fellow packs up early for the day. He's quite a feature of Market Square, omnipresent in all weathers, selling newspapers from his little stand. I suspect that he might have sold more today for people to put over their heads than to actually read! He had a big smile on his face as I took his picture. I had a quick chat with him and he was totally uncomplaining about the weather. His attitude is simply to take life as it comes. No point moaning about something over which you have no control. He made quite an impression on me.

I've felt this year to be a frustrating one in a number of ways. The weather has dented my appetite for long days out on the bike and my fitness has suffered as a consequence. I did manage to put in one good performance, in the Etape du Dales, so at least the year wasn't a complete washout in that respect. But I had to give away my major goal and accept that there are now limits on what I can realistically challenge myself to do - whereas before I deemed pretty much anything possible.

My appetite for developing software has also disappeared this year. It's just become too hard. Age is catching up with me. I've had to accept that I'm going to be taking more and more of a back seat to that side of the business, basically letting go of the thing I've always been really good at. Again, there are limits to the degree of complexity I can realistically cope with now - whereas before I felt no software problem was too difficult.

But all of this is fine because I've discovered something I'd rather be spending my time doing. This year will always be remembered as the one in which I discovered a true passion for photography and, even more importantly, found someone with whom to share that passion! On balance, I can't possibly pretend that it's been anything other than a great year!

Next year is going to be very much about change. My only New Year's resolution is to embrace that change with an open mind and heart, and just try to go with the flow. I'm quite excited as to where it might take me.

Happy New Year Blipmates.