Annual Review?
I used to rush to get my annual review done to send home to my Mum before Christmas. I can’t say that since she died three years ago the motivation is no longer there. No. My desire is still to share, to tell. My issues are still the same. I want to do it all. I want to do it now.
My fourth son turned 30 in December.
Remember
I still remember how it threw me off that I didn’t get my annual review done before Christmas that year, in 1994 after he was born. My desire is still to share. I still want to tell you. I’m doing it now.
I recently had the realization that this blog, or any blog, is actually a public diary, a journal, a logbook of what I’m doing. So that’s when a few weeks ago I introduced a couple of extra pages to record the technical activities and other stuff I’m doing.
Record
I wanted to make a running record of all my posts so you can track in ONE PLACE! all the stuff I post.
Huh? Well you see I have this blog and another one and I also post videos and stuff for a couple of NGOs and other places where I contribute.
Review for 2024. Well this is now really spontaneous, under the motto, just do it.
I actually produced an initial slide show with over 200 pictures of activities and as I commented on each picture the slide show went nearly 20 minutes. So that was definately too long to post as a review of the year. Also the repetitive photos of the recurring zoom meetings served more as a reminder to me of who my five most frequent contacts are, than as a report of activities to inform others – you.
YouTube
But I then did post it to my Ozlilly YouTube channel. I began or rather repeated a course on YouTube which was rather focussed on business through YouTube. And yes, I’ve already told you, it would be great to generate some funds from all my work, but that is not why I do it all. So my Babbas course kinda fizzled and then they kept inviting me to redo it for free. But they scheduled it for Sunday mornings. Well, I don’t know if you know, but I have a faith community and we meet on Sunday mornings. So other meetings at that time are pretty difficult for me to arrange.
Faith Community
In fact, it became quite amusing as I was being asked to say the closing prayer after the Sunday Service several times in a row. I really had to laugh when last Sunday again, I was enthusiastically welcomed and asked to say the closing prayer, with the addenda, or your partner, one of you. It is kinda nice to be seen as a couple, to be admired as we walk together holding hands, and then to be recognized as a blessed couple. It was our fourty-second anniversary in 2024. We work on our relationship and are still challenged.
New Year
This morning after posting live to FaceBook while watching the New Year’s Concert from Vienna, we had a serious “discussion”, where he told me I have a loud voice, and we expressed different views of what communication means. He spoke of his communication courses as a marketing assistant and also carefully noted I was probably a good communicator as a Toastmaster. As he continued explaining his concept of communication which I interpreted as the sales training he had, I listened silently and thought, what about just listening, observing? Why do you need a sales pitch at the end?
Venus and Mars
It was about how the guys need you to say what you want and the dames expect them to read the signs. Well I wasn’t going to express any expectation. Heck, he already does the cooking, the shopping. We pray together morning and night. We talk over meals. He creams my legs when I go to bed. I really cannot ask this guy to do any more than he is already doing.
Communication
Yet my style of communication, well, I sent him a message and asked him what he thought. He asks me what I think and I say, please ask while I’m at my desk. I need to check my calendar. Since my TIA over ten years ago, I am not so great with memory. That’s anothe reason I want this blog to record what happened when. I used to have it all in my head. But gee whiz, after 70 years, an exciting life, I should not be surprised that I no longer manage with just my neural memory. I don’t want to harp on it, but I do notice it myself.
Attitude
Like health. People ask how I am and sure I have lots of aches and pains and issues and circumstances. But again, gee whiz, I’m still alive! I’m still here. I don’t know how long, but I’m grateful. Josef went to a funeral to Innsbruck. He was in Innsbruck in 1982 when we first met. I didn’t go physically. Yet I feel so moved, emotional and connected. I can’t complain about my health. I can just think of my friends who are no longer here.
Back to 2024
April Christoph and Claire got married. My brother Gary came from Australia with his wife and their son.
December Nathan and Yassie went to Australia. They spent Christmas with my family Down Under. Initially I was also considering going. I wanted to celebrate my youngest brother’s 60th birthday in October. I wanted a Christmas with my four brothers. I wanted to mourn the loss of the house and home which has been sold and torn down.
Health
Instead, I finally went to the dentist and to the orthopaedic surgeon. Optometrist and mamography are still outstanding. Ortho said the pain in my right knee when walking down stairs is because they did not renew the knee cap there, but only on the left knee. He said everything’s fine. Maybe in five years we can operate again if it gets worse.
Ah huh. Well I did get some physio therapy appointments which start now in January. That’s for the back. Oh, I didn’t tell you about the back pain? You don’t need the details. I get caught up in details. I’ve got enough to post. I’ll finish for today.
New Year’s Resolutions
I do not believe in New Year’s Resolutions. I reckon you can start again any time. You do not need to wait for a particular calendar date. The best time to start is now. So, I’ve made a new start. Have you?