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Twenty Twenty-Four

We returned to the beach last weekend to wind down from the holiday and kick off the new year in the same spot we started 2024. I’m now back at my desk tidying up to get rolling into the new year. Year-end reviews are almost a tradition now having written them for the last five years. I’m somewhat obsessively tidy in an effort to counterbalance my wandering mind and I had to get this off essay off my desk to get going… or to avoid work. Either way, writing it is cathartic and an easy way to share personal new years greetings with others.

I just re-read my last year summary1 and it had a couple apparent themes — aging, acceptance, and self-deprecation. I’d like to think that I’ve bounced back this year with a solid dose of self-determination. I wouldn’t go so far as to categorize it as self-centered, but it seems to be a little bit more so than ever. Looking back at my notes from the past year, I noticed that I spent much more effort actively shaping exactly who I want to be… like I had some sort of future vision of myself in ten years and said ‘make it so’. My recent bookmarks of ‘dog friendly golf courses’ may give you an idea of where I think I’m heading. When I was very young, I would stay at my granddad’s house and every morning, he’d load up his dog and go play golf every morning. I’ve now accepted my fate and I’m actively pushing for it.

Another reason I may have switched into self determination mode last year may revolve around the rhetoric, culture, and news surrounding the election2,3,4. It seemed to dominate almost everything including my group chats. As soon as it was over the chats immediately went back to football and other non-sense but I think we’re still left the somewhat ominous Dumpy cloud hanging overhead. Seeing things out of your control gives you impetus for controlling what you’re able and the most effective method I have is to focus my attention elsewhere.

The weekend of our twentieth anniversary trip was canceled due to an hurricane which brought down a big oak tree onto our house5. The staycation was a week without power and we’ll still be making repairs over the next couple months. In an ongoing text threads with friends, one of them noted how calmly I was approaching the situation. The big takeaway from navigating obstacles is that it’s not the actual obstacle that matters, but the way you handle them. I’ll try to keep reminding myself this while I’m under a barrage of hammers in a month.

Our cat, who sleeps at the foot of our bed every night, disappeared mid-summer for 15 days. We said our goodbyes and packed up his things to give away. And then one early morning we heard a meow at the front door, opened it and there he was. Albeit a bit skinnier, came right on in just like nothing had happened. It’s an amazing testament to survival. If my cat can go without food for 15 days in 100 degree temperatures, I can certainly weather a lackluster administration and some costly home renovation.

As of now, on a chilly wet January day, I’m mostly looking forward to spring. Meanwhile, the boys tennis team will crank up in a week and I’ll be doing double-time with coaching and work. Aside from the extra effort, I had an injury last year that had me thinking I was done with tennis this year. I just don’t want to end up with the typical shoulder, hip, or knee problems that plague some and I’m not going to push it for some sorta mid-life desire to prove my vitality. Having x-rays taken at the sports medicine clinic were just enough to motivate a pivot to more low impact non-competitive exercise.

I spent a good bit of time with my mom going through back surgery and rehab last year and it’s tough watching anyone deal with basic mobility issues. My father lost another sibling last year6, but his resolve for living is pretty steadfast despite the diabetes adverse Nabisco Neko cracker habit. I’m still trying to listen closely to my aging parents for some tidbits of wisdom, but I’ve also finally admitted to myself that I’m beyond their advice in some areas. My self-determination is somewhat evident when doing things they didn’t ever do or teach. And on the flip-side, I’m now trying to figure out how I can assist them.

The last part of the year made it particularly challenging with the disarray from the hurricane, election, and hip injury. Even though I had a pile of demolition materials left outside and tractor ruts through the yard, I kept up with the yard work knowing there’d be more equipment coming in. I’m coaching again despite the injury and I’m fairly confident the outcome of another term is just going to be the rebound effect. I’ve now found I’m putting some effort in to sharing my relatively new found determination with others.

Self-determination isn’t just some UN Resolution after WWII even though I could consider myself a minority under majority rule. A generous amount of research suggests that when people are motivated by autonomous values their outcomes tend to be more sustained while reporting a higher sense of well-being. I find it somewhat easy because my values prioritize just taking the time to stop and look around7. So I’m putting the hammer down on just getting on with it and I’ll give you the synopsis if I make it through another orbit round the sun.

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

Right on,

David

  1. Twenty Twenty-three – https://davidawindham.com/twenty-twenty-three/
  2. The Purple Party – https://davidawindham.com/the-purple-party/
  3. Tastes – https://davidawindham.com/tastes/
  4. 2024 Election – https://davidawindham.com/til/posts/2024-election
  5. Project 2025 – https://davidawindham.com/project-2025/
  6. Woody Windham – https://davidawindham.com/til/posts/woody-windham
  7. High School – https://davidawindham.com/high-school/