In 2003 I fulfilled my resolution to spend more time with friends.
In 2004 I’d like to work on being a good friend, not just on showing up.

In 2003 T and I moved in and took our first trip together.
In 2004 I’d like us to travel together again.

In 2003 I did not fulfill my resolution to draw more, and in fact my confidence in my abilities is at an all-time low.
In 2004, I’ll concentrate on guitar playing. Music being something I feel much more comfortable with, perhaps this will bolster my confidence.

In 2003 I ran a 10 km race. It took me an hour.
In 2004 I want to run a half-marathon. I don’t care how long it takes.

In 2003 I slept in the Sahara and jumped out of an airplane.
In 2004 I plan on adopting a dog and starting night school.

In 2003 I have grown very unhappy at work.
In 2004 I need to solve this early in the year, because it’s affecting other aspects of life. Luckily I’m pretty sure this can be resolved.

In 2003 I went to Vegas for the first time.
In 2004 I want to do as little business travel as possible.

In 2003 I made some wonderful new friends.
In 2004 I’ll start making them wonderful old friends.

In 2003 I gained ten pounds.
In 2004 I’d like to lose them.

I wish us all the best possible year 2004.

I’ve recently joined an Ultimate Frisbee team. For those who don’t know, Ultimate is an outdoor, team sport that resembles football, but it’s played with a frisbee. Last night, I had my first practice. As I had suspected, I was the oldest person on the team.

As I practiced with this group where the average age was probably 23, I thought about the future. I saw myself five, ten years from now, still wanting to join new clubs, still wanting to be active, to try new things. I imagined myself still doing those things, but the gap between my age and that of the others getting larger and larger as time goes by. How many years of this do I have left? Is time running out to do new things, to take risks? Sure, you can say “if you’re young at heart, it doesn’t matter”, but in actuality it does. It’s simply easier to feel comfortable with a group of one’s own age. These people accepted me fully yesterday, but I think that’s because they don’t suspect I’m the age I am. Someday, though, it’ll be more obvious.

My mother once told me she worried about my being alone in life one day, if I didn’t hitch up and make babies right now. I comforted her and myself by saying that in my generation, more and more people were choosing this way of life, and that we’ll all be old and childless together.

However, these days I’m not so sure about that. As we get older, there are fewer and fewer groups and organizations to belong to. In university, it was ridiculously easy to find like-minded individuals. Learning institutions are replete with special interest groups. Most of your colleagues, also students, were your age. If you were into the bar scene, most people there were your age. Now I find we’re scattered, mixed in with everyone else. Well, I still hope Mom was wrong.

And by the way, Ultimate was great fun. I can’t wait for my first game. I’ll eat those young’uns alive!

UPDATE: Scratch that last sentence. Two days after the first practice, I can’t move. My running “coach” isn’t too happy with me, trying a new sport right before the race, which is Saturday. With another Ultimate game tonight, I should be stiff as a board Saturday morning. Fun fun fun.