That was the year that was
Dec. 31st, 2012 05:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hawkwing_lbI've been social today with a couple of my favourite people. Read half a book. Am now unaccountably tired.
Many people seem to be doing round-up posts for 2012. This is not one. My energy for personal blogging has diminished with the increase of other demands on my intellectual and emotional energies. And there've been a lot of demands. But overall I'm tentatively pleased by what I've been able to accomplish, even if I do perpetually take on too much, and even if I spent October through December huddling paralysed in a combination of illness-hangover, anxiety and depression. Still, we go onwards. It's all we can do.
I read 278 books, not counting re-reads. Interned in the IIHSA in the spring. Was invited to contribute a regular column to Tor.com. Reviewed a lot of books. Was granted funding for research. Co-guided a study tour in Greece. Had an abstract accepted for a conference. Wrote two chapters of my thesis. Made several false starts on the third, but such is life. Overcame social anxiety enough to send emails to publicists and writers about the column and the reviews.
Overawed by the kindness of friends and strangers alike.
Am still not good about self-worth and self-belief, but I think I'm making strides towards being more comfortable with myself. Slow progress, with much backsliding, but progress. It's amazing, though, how much easier life is with a regular, respectably-sized source of income.
(It's actually not a lot of money, the equivalent of a full-time minimum wage job. But Not a lot of money is still more money than I've ever had in my life - even if I am still living on my overdraft because of mum's sick-pay status.)
Anyway, that was the year that was. Goals for 2013: be a better person. Try to get into a good position on my thesis. Try to be kind to myself.
Happy New Year, friends. Ave!
Many people seem to be doing round-up posts for 2012. This is not one. My energy for personal blogging has diminished with the increase of other demands on my intellectual and emotional energies. And there've been a lot of demands. But overall I'm tentatively pleased by what I've been able to accomplish, even if I do perpetually take on too much, and even if I spent October through December huddling paralysed in a combination of illness-hangover, anxiety and depression. Still, we go onwards. It's all we can do.
I read 278 books, not counting re-reads. Interned in the IIHSA in the spring. Was invited to contribute a regular column to Tor.com. Reviewed a lot of books. Was granted funding for research. Co-guided a study tour in Greece. Had an abstract accepted for a conference. Wrote two chapters of my thesis. Made several false starts on the third, but such is life. Overcame social anxiety enough to send emails to publicists and writers about the column and the reviews.
Overawed by the kindness of friends and strangers alike.
Am still not good about self-worth and self-belief, but I think I'm making strides towards being more comfortable with myself. Slow progress, with much backsliding, but progress. It's amazing, though, how much easier life is with a regular, respectably-sized source of income.
(It's actually not a lot of money, the equivalent of a full-time minimum wage job. But Not a lot of money is still more money than I've ever had in my life - even if I am still living on my overdraft because of mum's sick-pay status.)
Anyway, that was the year that was. Goals for 2013: be a better person. Try to get into a good position on my thesis. Try to be kind to myself.
Happy New Year, friends. Ave!
