Once more ‘Round the sun’
One year. 365.24 days, 525,600 minutes, 12 months. How do you measure, measure a year?
Entering into 2014, I had reason to be optimistic that this would be the breakthrough year. I ended 2013 coming off an interview for the position of Donation/Dispatch Associate at the organization where I previously interned two months earlier. Buoyed by the support of my friends that Friday morning, it led to the best job interview I ever had. I left thinking that finally, this would be the opportunity I sought after for the last six years.
But with each passing day in January, my hopes began to dwindle. Then on January 11th, I found out that the permanent job was given to someone else and that there wouldn’t be temporary work either. I felt devastated as I genuinely felt that I had a chance to finally be employed. After the sadness and anger subsided, I tried to figure out my next move. I didn’t want to cut my connections, so I tried to find a way to be able to volunteer somewhere in the organization. I found a colleague who needed data entry help and I started that project on January 20th. That same week, I got a phone call saying that everything was back on. A mad rush ensued to get the TB test done and the paperwork signed as January came to an end. The initial assignment would last two weeks.
On Monday, February 3rd, six years of frustration came to an end as it was my first day on the job. As ecstatic as I was to be back, I had a mountain to climb for my first task. I walked past the door of the Call Center and there were mountains of yellow envelopes stacked the length of the hallway. As my co-workers couldn’t keep up with sorting the envelopes of donation receipts that had been there since November. It took me three full days, but I got the job done. With the time remaining, I would learn the ins and outs of my new position. I smiled the day I got my email signature for the first time, it wasn’t a dream anymore.
I would finish out the two weeks on Valentine’s Day and hope that I would get called back. In the mean time, I was conquering another mountain, getting the backlog of purchase receipts down from the previous November. About a month later, I would be asked to come back to work, but under the worst circumstances imaginable. I found out that my friend and beloved co-worker Mary had passed away and it was tough not to want to cry but at my supervisor’s request as my presence would be welcomed, I came back to work. For all the grief I felt, there was no way I could say no to returning back to work. The same week of the memorial service, I found out that my friend Jen would be leaving in about a months time. The combination of the two events in short order, left me the mountain I’m still climbing to this day.
April 11th was not a good day for me. I didn’t want to say goodbye to my friend Jen. She changed my life for the better. I had no idea how I would go on not being able to talk to her at lunch and the fact that now I was alone at work. As a result, all the negative aspects of my personality started to come to the front, the anger, ease of frustration. I ended up doing the same thing I did whenever I lose a close friend, I isolate myself. I still keep in contact with her and on occasion, see her.
But I knew I had to keep going. I worked as hard as I could and gradually bumped up to three days a week. As the first half of the year came to an end, I did something that would become controversial. I marched in the NYC Pride parade as part of my organization. That decision didn’t sit well with everyone in my family but I had a blast anyway. On August 6th, I got the piece of news I’d been dying to hear, I was offered a full time job. In the moment I was told this, the last six years faded to black. The world of possibilities suddenly opened up and I started full time on September 8th.
Without the job, the rest of the events of this year wouldn’t have happened. This year featured six concerts. Two of them, Brit Floyd and Tame Impala were at the Beacon Theater in April and November respectively. Two more had brought me to Long Island for Aerosmith & Slash at Jones Beach in July and Mastodon, Gojira & Kvelertak at the Paramount Theater in Huntington, LI on Halloween night. I’d be remiss to leave out the three concerts of Erin & Her Cello that I went to see. The concert in July at Joe’s Pub was for the CD release of her group’s recent album Petits Bisous. That night in July brought a friendship brought together the night of my friend Jen’s birthday party full circle. It was my favorite concert of the year. There would’ve been a seventh concert had I taken the Thievery Corporation tickets at Pier 97 had I actually gone to the show instead of going home that Friday night in August.
I also had some new experiences over the course of the year. This was the year I started to party. I went to three parties and gradually discovered another means of letting the troubles of life go. Even though I can’t dance to save my life, I would meet new people and enjoy the company of my friends each night I would go out. I would have my non-work experience on June 1st. I went to the USMNT/Turkey match at Red Bull Arena. I had never been to a soccer match before, considering that I watch soccer on TV religiously and buy the FIFA games every other year. So the moment I found out, there was no way I wouldn’t be there. As I sat in my corner section seat, I soaked in the experience for all it was worth. I would also join my co-workers on a hot evening in September at the Yankees/Royals game and enjoyed the night despite James Shields one hit shutout of the Yankees.
This year was the year the lost decade came to its end. I was invited to a mini high school reunion dinner in mid June. I was nervous about meeting people from high school as for years I felt ashamed of myself for not having a job. But with everything turning around, I no longer had to keep my head down. I never recovered from the events of June 26th & 27th 2003 but on this night, I finally began the long process of healing.
Over Labor Day weekend, I was invited by my sister to join her friends in Chicago. I needed the escape in light of my world profoundly changing from when she asked me to come on July 31st. I enjoyed the three days away from home and the fact that the trip went off without a hitch, I was able to put the debacle that was Paris & London behind me. I was happy to get away knowing the changes in life that would soon follow. From the Art Institute to Wrigley Field and the architecture cruise, I enjoyed the trip. The only thing I would’ve done differently was book my flight back to New York later in the day.
I do have one regret though. One of my best friends invited me to her graduation from Hunter College the day after Memorial Day. But I wasn’t able to make it as I had to go to work that day. I feel like I let her down by saying no. She’s been there for me when everyone else wasn’t and I let her down big time. I also have moment that could’ve been . My cousin suggested to me that he & I road trip up to Hartford for the USA/Ecuador match that would’ve been Landon Donovan’s last game. But I chickened out of that too as I didn’t get enough notice to be able to pull this off.
On the whole, this year has been the best year I’ve had since 2008. A lot did happen over the last twelve months. Thankfully, I had the company of friends and family to ride out the worst moments and celebrate the achievements. I would like to thank all the followers of this blog and anyone who reads this post for a hell of a year. I hope that the new year brings plenty more happiness and joy to all of my friends and family. To bring this post and this year to a close, the words of Mr. Steven Sondheim and “I’m Still Here” from his show Follies: I’ve run the gamut, A to Z, Three cheers and dammit, C’est la vie, I got through all of last year, and I’m here, Lord knows, at least I was there, and I’m here, Look who’s here, I’m still here.
