Saturday, December 31, 2011

An end and a fresh start...

As 2011 comes to it's inevitable end, I have to take a few minutes and reflect on it, and what I have done, and what I will be doing in the future. Has this been a bad year? Nope, not at all. Yes, bad things have happened, but bad things happen every year, it's all a matter of degrees and how we decide to let them affect us.

The bad of 2011, I lost my Gramma Hubler. I loved her dearly, and family reunions will never be the same, but she is shed of her stress and pain, and I like to believe that she is where she expected to be. Maybe not the same place that I will end up, yet she was a woman of her convictions and I am sure that she made it.

Lost my job, got a new one, and then was let go from there for lack of work. Ok, pick myself up and move on. I could have gone back to work any number of times doing stuff that I hated doing, but I decided that it was time to do something that I wanted to do for a change. So, turned that around and now I am in school learning the trade that I wanted to learn 25 years ago. Refrigeration. Halfway through the course and I know I'm on the right road, because I am enjoying every day, and taking a few minutes here and there to help make the guys around me into better techs. Teaching tools and skills to guys who have very little experience in the field. After 30 years of working in various service industries, this is where I finally get to specialize and find my niche.

Been basically broke since I lost the second job, but at the same time I have managed to keep myself afloat with some photography. I still love taking pictures, and I still hope to make it a true livelihood someday, but for now I will continue to do it as a hobby. The goal is to use my newest skills to support the photography, and build me gear collection. Newer and better tools to let me use my talents to their limits.

Love is still something that I often feel is out of my grasp. I'm single, but always perpetually looking with wistful dreams at someone in my life. This year I have a focus, but I know that the time isn't right for her to feel the same way about me. If she ever will. I don't really care, I have become used to being on a one way street, going the wrong way. As I have said to myself and other people, what I care about most is that SHE finds happiness. I guess that's love too.

I still have a pile of friends, and people that I care about, and who seem to care about me. These are good things in my life. Family too, that supports my silliness, and encourages my creativity. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next chapter holds.

In 2012, I have some goals, I won't go so far as to call them resolutions, I don't have that kind of task commitment! Goal 1) is a decent job in the field that I am studying now. I would like to ultimately end up working in a commercial refrigeration company doing grocery stores, storage facilities and manufacturing process cooling, but for now, any job in the industry, to give me experience and a foothold is all I am shooting for.

Increasing my Photography skills, both in usage and in editing/enhancement. I want to get better at feeling how the lens will alter my own perception of a scene and making the adjustments to bring what I see into the picture. I want to capture more emotion, and keep finding better ways to show off the people that I shoot doing what they do best.

I would like to be out of debt by the end of 2012. I'm nearly there to be sure, and I have to keep from digging another hole. Some of this part is based on employment, but with full time employment at a decent wage, I should see the previous hole filled in and the shovel tamping it down before next fall. A long way off to be sure, but every week gets me a little bit closer!

On my health front, I really do need to get my weight under control and get rid of some of the excess. Not only to help keep myself out of the family diabetic circle, but also to help keep my joints and bones healthier. I seem to be pretty lucky to this point in my life, I haven't damaged much in my body other than skin, but being the size I am isn't good for so much of me, and I need to try and keep what I have in good working order!

That't about it for today, the end of the year, a few short hours away from 2012. I hope all of you who may read this have a great day, and an amazing year. Dream of good things, and then go make good things happen.