I’m determined to reflect and write an account of 2012, as I do every year. It helps to think about my achievements, as I am ending the year on a bit of a low. I wasn’t sure why I feel this way around this time of year until I saw this tweet from one of my favorite writers and actresses, Lena Duham, and realized I’m not the only one:
Then I realized that if she, the queen of everything creative and successful, can feel this way, I’m not a total loser. I have so much to look forward to in 2013 and I need to focus on the good in my life. I’m at a critical juncture and things are going to change a lot this year in a very big way. It’s up to me to stay positive and stay on course to meet my goals.
2013 wasn’t an easy year for any of us on the planet, let’s get serious. We endured the wrath of Hurricane Sandy in October, a storm that ripped the beautiful part of the country where I’ve spent most of my adult life apart. As with 9/11, I, along with thousands of others, were injured but we will recover and I’ve spent a bit of time working on the efforts to restore the faith of the people it fractured. The shootings in Newtown ripped the heart out of everyone just a few shorts weeks ago, and we are still watching our nation recover. The nation is still reeling from these two events. Thankfully, we had a good result with the Presidential election.
On my blog, I kicked off a “I Don’t Know How She Does It” series at the start of the year, as the whole work/home life balance scenario has always puzzled me. I was honored with guest posts by some of my favorite writers and friends who said things that had been stirring in my mind for years. Ann Imig. Bonnie Rothman Morris. Elena Sonino. Shari Simpson. Emily Paster. Elissa Freeman. Holly Pavlika. Charlene Loach. Britt Reints. Sara Fisher. I called, they came, and I earned a piece of wisdom from each person.
I have spent the last few years juggling work and family, thinking that working part-time was the answer to my struggle. But in the last year, after juggling far too many projects, I learned something important: I want one job. It will help me focus the time I have with my family. So, in 2013, I have to make some changes coming full circle with where I started early in the year right here on the blog.
The one thing I will not let go of is theater producing. I described how I fell into it early in the year here through a chance meeting with Ann Imig at BlogHer. Then it led to an unforgettable experience working on an actual off-off Broadway show, The Best of Everything, my name appearing in the New York Times and now I am taking a producing class at the Commercial Theater Institute that starts next week. I’m also producing another production of Listen to Your Mother this spring.
In 2012, I also spread my wings on the speaking engagement front, and I hope to do more of that in the upcoming year. I talked about Social Good, I talked about Social Media.
While I tend not to talk personally on the blog, I took time out a few times to talk out loud. Once I celebrated the life of my good friend, Danny Pearl, who I can’t believe died 10 years ago and left such an important mark on our generation. Moving forward, I’d like to spend more time on topics of interest to me, and I’m cutting down on reviews. You’ll see more cultural coverage, more issues that I support.
In terms of my own personal bucket list, I don’t think I fulfilled too many dreams this year but I did see Woody Allen live in concert at the Cafe Carlyle. It was the single most expensive night that my husband and I ever experienced. But it was worth every penny.
Speaking of bucket lists, I reviewed a book called Bella’s Vietnam Adventure. In that piece I wrote: After my first daughter was born, I started planning a trip to Vietnam. I wanted to explore the region with my husband and young child more than anything. When I found myself unexpectedly pregnant, the plan got shelved, but I still dream about it. And we will get there one of these days as a family.
Funnily enough, I am headed there in a mere three weeks. The item at the very top of my bucket list is about to bhappen. I am so excited, I can hardly believe it. I’m calling it my midlife crisis trip. I’m sure I’ll blog about it, so stay tuned.
I spent much of 2012 learning how to use my voice on social media for social good. After the Women in the World conference early in the year, and hearing Hillary Clinton call all women “fearless … committed … and audacious,” I formed relationships with Save the Children, moms2moms, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I’m now on the board of Mothers and More, which is really exciting.
Of course, as always, culture played a big role on my blog. I wrote about a visit to the set of Pan Am, interviewing the cast of Les Mis, books like The Paris Wife, Gone Girl, shows I loved like 40,000 Miles, Venus in Fur, Rapture, Blister, Burn and Chaplin.
My most popular posts? Definitely my 50 Shades posts, here is one of the two. Make sure you read the comments. And this one A Letter to Judd Apatow, which the director himself responded to directly to me on Twitter about:
How was your year? I’d love to hear in the comments about your plans for 2013 and how you plan to evolve.
With all that said (and I had nothing to say when I started), happy new year. May you all have a prosperous and exciting year! Thanks for reading when you do.
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