A Fresh Start

So, here we are, folks. 2009.

I've not met one person that was sorry to see 2008 go, although, to be fair, I think we're all being a little hard on the poor lass.

Sure, a lot of really, really bad things happened to all of us in 2008. We lost our jobs. Some of you lost your homes or your cars. But really, things didn't get really bad until about the last half of 2008. The first half? Not so bad.

In the first half of 2008, I traveled around the world. Literally.

I saw Paris, I saw Tokyo, and I got to see all of my fabulous friends in San Francisco.

I was working on my dirty little secret in private. BitchBuzz was just gold dust. Hopes and dreams locked in my head. Would it happen? Could I do it?

Come to think of it, everything was fine and stable until about my second night in Paris.

Something just hit me, and I knew I was going to have to make a big change, before someone else decided to make that big change for me.

When I returned to London, someone did make that big change for me, but I was - for the most part - ready for it.

Where I am, I where, I believe, I'm meant to be.

It's hard, it's so hard, and I hate to sound like a Negative Nancy, but let's be fucking real here. Shits hard for so many of us, and I can't lie here. For better or worse I wear my heart and my emotions on my digital sleeve. So if it feels sort of down and complainy and kinda depressing lately around here, that's because it is.

But, I have hope. I do have hope and faith and positivity...

I just need them to ignite and to burn a little brighter than they have been lately.

But, luckily, we have a fresh start: a new year.

I think so many of us just want a start over. A clean slate...

And here we are, the start of a new year, and soon - we'll have a new president. A man who represents hope. Christ, he's written a book on it. What more could we ask for?

The world has hunkered down. What will this year bring? Could it get any worse? Is it going to be worse than the last one?

Who the hell knows. Will my 2009 be better than 2008? Of course it will. But perhaps we all just need to lighten up a bit. Personally, I'd rather make jokes about it being the Great Depression Part Deux while I cut out coupons and eat beans on toast rather than crying into my electric bill.

We all need to be a bit more supportive of eachother. A bit more open, a bit more friendly. A bit more willing to say, "Hey, you know what, I'm having a hard time, too...let's go down to the 1/2 price Chinese place and split some chow mein."

We all need to be a little more positive and understand that while we may be having a hard time finding a job, at least we still have a roof over our heads.

And those of you with cushy jobs that pay you more than enough money for sitting on your ass and checking Facebook all day - maybe you could pick up the tab when you meet your unemployed friend who is a bit down on his luck out to dinner, eh?

I learned so much last year...I recall writing that I wanted to know what it was like to work hard. To work real hard. To work so hard, that when things payed off and were going well, I would feel like I deserved it....

Well here I am. I'm at the hard part I wanted to be at. I'm payin' dues, and sleeping in small, uncomfortable hotel rooms while everyone is in the double suite.

But what I don't have in money, or gadgets, or fancy shoes, or even a recent hair cut....I have in faith. And I have a whole lotta love.

And that's enough to get us through.

Hello, 2009. Let's do this.