Can’t say I’d want to ring the new year any other way than I did last night, cradling my 2-year-old daughter on the couch while my wife held our 3-month-old girl next to me. Just our family, a four-person unit that took all of 2011 to arrive.
Looking back on the year, 2011 was about Margaux, the nine months she took to get here and the 3 months she’s been on this earth, my favorite little smiley ball of cheeks. But the year had other wonderful moments, including watching my Gwyneth get smarter and smarter, developing her own personality that I adore so much. I also traveled on a cruise to Bermuda to watch my parents renew their wedding vows after 35 years of marriage. It was beautiful, and the adventure on the high seas and on that island paradise will stick with me for a long time.
2011 was also a great year for work. Being an editor for a new media venture like Patch.com brings a lot of excitement, especially for someone who loves playing a role in the evolution of journalism online. The twelve sites I manage are looking great. At the same time, I finished teaching my second semester of News Literacy at Stony Brook University, one of the most useful courses I’ve seen at a college. I’ll be teaching again this spring,which will be my third semester. I really do enjoy teaching college, and I hope to be able to do it for a long time.
The year definitely had its hard times, something I think that was shared across the globe as we witnessed revolutions and uprisings in the Arab world and economic hardships bring countries and people to their knees. The weather was a mess, starting with a very snowy winter and followed by heat waves and eventually Hurricane Irene knocking down tress and power in my community. Late summer and fall brought more rain, really hurting the Long Island wine region that I hold dear.
And for a moment there, people actually took Herman Cain seriously.
As for 2012, well I’m an optimist. I expect better weather, on all levels, for all of us.
My resolution is the same as it always is, to become the man I want to be, a noble goal for this work in progress.
Happy New Year, all.