Montagey Post of New Year's Theme

"May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. I hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful, and don't forget to make some art -- write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. And I hope, somewhere in the next year, you surprise yourself." - Neil Gaiman

I hope I do all of that stuff too, Mr. Gaiman.

This is going to be a bit of a montage post today.

First, a link to an interesting talk about goals, which I feel is appropriate for the Resolution-ing season: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHopJHSlVo4

I was going to write a post about my goals for 2011, but in the light of that video (and because I found a few other things to write about instead), I won't.

Actually, I will say one thing: "My New Year's Resolution is to be more freaking awesome." That's quite possibly one of my favorite songs I've heard this year. ;)

A friend of mine emailed me a link to a site called Worldometers, which keeps track of various numbers regarding our planet.

Deaths this year: ~137,000

Deaths today: ~137,000.

Suicides today: 2418

Those are just some of them. Our world is pretty screwed up if they're that high in LESS THAN A DAY (depending on where you live). Let's view them as motivating rather than depressing, and make a commitment to do something to make them lower this year. 

Now to a more happy note.

I started 2010 eating gingerbread. 2010 was the best year of my life.

I started 2011 at my best friend's church for a multi-generational game night. Let's hope 2011 takes the title. I've tried two new foods already, and found a religion I have absolutely no issues with whatsoever, which is a first. Yes, an actual religion. Me. That's right.

The game night was amazing. I learned several new games, met some awesome people, and it truly was multi-generational. The teenagers didn't go into one corner, the parents into another, and the grandparents into a third. We all played together. Somehow I worked up the courage to sing "Ulcerative Colitis" in front of a bunch of people I'd only just met. During the White Elephant gift exchange (everyone brings a gift of questionable desirability and everyone takes one home), I got a new book and a bumper sticker that says "Who would JESUS execute?"