2010 In Review

2010 was a year that started and ended with death.  My family and I have had to say goodbye to several close friends, and it has not been easy.  Those who we have lost were epic figures in our collective memories and the losses are felt deeply.  Just knowing that they are gone, makes the world a little less interesting.  Until, that is, I remember that while they are gone, the spirit of who they were remains.  A story here.  A joke there.  Advice long forgotten, now remembered.  Though silenced, the sound of their voices and laughter live on in my heart and mind, as will my memories of the little town in Pennsylvania where we all used to live.

It has been a strange year of constant transition.  Amy and I have spent more time apart this year than we ever have in the fourteen years we've been together, and so we have been settling in in this place or that, all year.  Our respective careers have opened doors that lead to more time in airports than either of us would care to think about.  But, the opportunities have been great and we have done our best to seize them.  The net result was that I spent a month cloistered away drawing for forty hours a week for almost a month, and Amy was doggedly pursued by New Balance, her new employer.

And so we found ourselves in Boston.  New location, new lives, new possibilities.  One of the odd things about this transition is how few friends we left behind in New York.  In the eighteen months prior to our own move, the vast majority of our friends left the city.  Some even ended up in Boston.  Though we did leave a few good friends behind, it was mostly the set that had changed, while cast had remained eerily the same.

Professionally, I've been banged up a few times this year.  I've had a few nightmarish jobs that should have lasted a month or two, but dragged on — one lasting almost nine.  I've gotten dropped by two conventions.  And my critics have been the most vocal they've ever been — one even going out of his way to email me about how much he disliked my work.  I have doubted myself, and I have felt like calling it quits at times, but my friends and compatriots have encouraged and supported me throughout.  And it is clear that it was a mistake for me to worry about those things or take them to heart, especially because I've done so much that I am excited about and can't wait to share with you all in the coming year.  Hopefully, you'll find it as exciting as I do.

And so, 2010 is wrapping itself up.  2011 waits in the wings and will sadly begin again with still more death.  2011 will mean even more time apart as Amy's new job requires still more travel, representing a fundamental shift in our lives and lifestyles.  We will attempt to sell our house in New York and possibly begin to search for a new one here.  It will be stressful and aggravating, no doubt.

Nevertheless, I look forward to 2011.  Sure, it's not going to get off to the greatest of starts.  Sure it'll mean a lot of headaches and heartaches.  And so it goes.  It will not be all bad.  I will paint lots of cool stuff.  I will get to do lots of cool things.  Go places I've never gone before.  See things I've never seen before.  There will be opportunity.  And there will be fun and laughter!  And my lady will be by my side all the while, which is all I could ever ask for.

To you all, I wish a safe, happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year.  May it bring promise and joy.