I hated and loved this year in the same breath. At times my anger towards this year has grown to mountainous proportions, leaving me in a valley of grief, frustration, and anger. At other times, I’ve been so filled with elation that I can feel myself about to burst with happiness.
My father died this year after battling cancer for a number of years. My Dad. The Q Dog. The New Yorker. Columbia University graduate. Worked on Harold Washington’s campaign. The guy I could talk politics with to the wee hours of the night. My protector. A father. A husband. A brother. A friend. The man who supported me in all of my nerdy endeavors, and helped to cultivate my love of comics, sci-fi, fantasy, and all geeky/ creative things.
I miss him so damn much I find myself at times breaking down. That’s where the valley of grief and hurt come into play.
It’s getting better though.
On the other side of the coin, this was the year that we successfully funded a Kickstarter campaign for a second/ larger print run for Route 3: Vol 1. The year where folks stepped up and put their money behind a seemingly unknown comic book series, and just took a damn chance on us. Then the book was nominated for a Glyph Comics Award. There’s that elation part.
To follow this up, I was chosen for the 2017 DC Comics Writers Workshop. After my second year of applying, I’m chosen along with five other talented writers amongst a field of THOUSANDS of other applicants.
Once again there’s that elation part. That I’m getting closer to my ultimate dream of making a full time career out of writing. A career where I can take care of my family, and just be happy with what I’m doing for the 9-5.
But guess what life has to say? F’ that noise. Found out about a month or so back I’ve getting laid off of my full time job. My third lay off since I’ve been out of college, from a job where I was at for three years. From a job which literally was just to pay the bills.
I’m ranting now. I know. That’s what this year has felt like. Just one long rant with seemingly no break in sight.
At the end of it all though I’m probably more at peace now than at any time in my life. There’s that overarching concern of getting a job, but I’m not worried. I can do this.
So let me just leave you with this: life can be excessively crappy. Like “kick you down to the ground, and laugh at you while you try to climb back up” crappy.
At the end of the day though the way you handle the crappy moments is to just exist, and do you. That’s why the worry, and concern are now to a minimum. I’ve made it my goal to find a CAREER and not just a JOB. It’ll be difficult as heck, but I’m going to move forward and stay out of that valley.
See you later 2017.
Hello 2018.