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2022 in Review

It seems that about his time every year, I’m looking to clean up, put a nice little bow on it, and start the new year fresh. I’m trying to get ahead of the little bit of traveling we do for the holidays. In the process, I just re-read the last year-end essay I wrote in 20191. I think a year in review post would make a good tradition and an easy way for me to share with others. And in that regard, I’ll try to keep it brief. 

2022 started bumpy with my brother, our dog, and Ginny’s grandmom all dying within the span of a couple of months. That put me in just a general fog of reconciliation and reminiscing for the first part of the year2,3,4. I gained the most from those events to grow as a person. I could go on here at great lengths about this, but the most important aspect I was reminded of is that the life we know is fleeting. I’ve always kinda felt that way, but it’s nice to have a reminder every so often to keep your priorities in perspective. By midyear, I was back to joking about it. I’d finish lunch or tennis with someone and say “If I don’t ever see you again, it was nice knowing you” which got some interesting looks and responses, especially from the older folks.  

We skipped our normal winter getaway likely because we were just tired from dealing with those but I made up for it on a couple of other trips in the spring.  I got a cabin up in the hills with some old friends which spurred on a couple of other gatherings and potentially an annual event5,6.  I saw Dylan for the first, and likely last time7. I went to see an old friend whose outdoor concert got canceled from lightning, so we just got to hang out. We also did a couple of tennis tournaments and participated in my first cycling event.  Being around kind people in really nice environments is a great reminder of how fun life can be. 

Work this year was dominated by relatively short contracts. This is rewarding because I get quick positive feedback on them, but I don’t enjoy shifting my attention around. That’s likely why I wrote two essays8,9 on staying organized and it could be why I almost ended up in another full-time position. I replied to a recruiter’s email and ended up in a month-long interview process. I remember a long pause from the hiring manager right after I said something to the extent of “I need to have some flexibility with my schedule because I like to play tennis in the mornings and I coach tennis in the afternoons”.  Needless to say, I talked myself out of a six-figure salary which, although seemingly impractical, will likely work out for the best. 

Ginny is simultaneously taking on a new leadership role and finishing a doctorate program at Clemson10.  She will be defending and graduating next summer. I’ve tried to spend some extra time with my parents this year because they won’t live forever. I discovered the rewards of coaching kids after I became the head coach of the high school tennis teams. I finally ditched my old truck since the transmission was going and got a new ride11. I’ve also accepted that I need to carry my reading glasses into the grocery store so I can read the expiration dates. I spent part of this year on a vegan diet until the cheese cravings kicked in. And like every other new year’s resolution, I’d like to prioritize my mind and body the best I’m able to compensate for the aging.

I’m starting the new year by turning 50 which I’ve been saying I was for some time now12. I’m not planning a party because, in my mind, I’m not over the hill quite yet even though I’m getting close. I couldn’t convince the better half to let me rehab an old classic convertible but I did get permission to turn our den into a studio so I’d like do some of the woodworking for the cabinetry, re-learn the piano, and take up watercolor painting. I am planning on doing the deep dive on the Rust and Web Assembly early next year to keep up to date with work. I think my boy’s tennis team will have a winning season this spring. Ginny and I are planning on remodeling the kitchen later in the fall and we’ll likely take a long break post-graduation to stroll up the west coast to celebrate her hard work. Otherwise, I’m just going to try and make it long enough to write another one of these next year. 

Best wishes to y’all out there and I hope you have a happy new year. 

Be well, do good work, & keep in touch13 ,

David 

  1. 2019 in Review – https://davidawindham.com/2019-2/ 
  2. Kristopher Roland Windham – https://davidawindham.com/kristopher-roland-windham/ 
  3. Zeke – https://davidawindham.com/zeke/ 
  4. Old Photos – https://davidawindham.com/old-photos/ 
  5. Jocassee – https://davidawindham.com/jocassee/
  6. Cold Mountain – https://davidawindham.com/cold-mountain/
  7. Bob Dylan – https://davidawindham.com/bob-dylan/
  8. Slow Thinking – https://davidawindham.com/slow-thinking/ 
  9. A Second Brain – https://davidawindham.com/a-second-brain/ 
  10. Gast, G. CV – https://ginnygast.com/cv/ 
  11. Automobiles – https://davidawindham.com/automobiles/ 
  12. Age 50 – https://davidawindham.com/age-50/ 
  13. Garrison Keillor’s Writers Almanac sign-off – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Writer’s_Almanac