2022 Year in Review

At the start of last January, my small group did a new year’s exercise. We wrote down what we would leave behind in 2021 and what, by faith, we would accomplish in 2022. Think of it like new year’s resolutions, but with a twist. My list was pretty extensive. Since 2022 is officially over, I’ve decided to share what went down and whether or not I accomplished each one.

Left in 2021: Impatience with Admin

Now, this is a major point of transparency. I know that my coworkers and supervisors could easily stumble upon this blog post. Some of you may know exactly who I’m talking about. However, I must be honest about my list, as this was a part of my character journey this last year.

During 2021, I grew short tempered whenever my supervisors made a sudden change. I’d dig my heels and grumble about every little thing. At that time, I think I was still hung up on how much had changed since COVID hit in 2020. Restrictions were put into place, procedures were switched just as soon as we had gotten used to things; it was hectic. Each time something happened, I’d internalize my discontent and place the blame on those in charge. It made me reluctant to come to them when problems arose.

The night we had this small group exercise, I finally recognized that this mindset was hindering me. I decided to write it down for my “things I’m leaving behind in 2021.” Honestly, I didn’t want to. Having a target for my dissatisfaction made me believe I was coping with it. However, as I’ve often told my students, a grudge is a self-inflicted cancer. The longer you hang on to it, the more it eats at you and only you. You can’t pass it on to the person who made you feel that way. So, with that in mind, I made it a point to not hold those in power in contempt.

Once I did that, my entire workplace atmosphere changed during the year. When I was stuck on a student issue or had questions about current procedures, I was able to bring it up and receive a response without any negative feelings. Whenever a change in schedule or system occurred, I accepted it without complaining about it later. It’s amazing how much things shift when you put aside your pride. If I hadn’t made that decision last January, I’d still be miserable now and would not have grown as a person.

Get a handle on my living space

When my family first moved into our current house, my sister got the bigger corner room while my brother and I had to share the smaller room (my parents still won’t give me a straight answer about how that happened). Since my sister got married and moved out, I got the greenlight to move into her old room.

Progress has been slow, but steady. I was officially sleeping in my new room in December. I still have some boxes to sort through and picture frames to hang, but I’m enjoying my new setup.

Influence my students for the better

This is my usual goal as a teacher, but this last year had some extra hurdles. It was my first academic year teaching a Film class. Not the “watch movies and analyze their content” kind of film class, but the “grab a camera and make a movie” kind.  I wanted to impart my love for storytelling and filmmaking, at least in a fun way that didn’t involve my incessant rambling.

The final films my students produced blew me away. A lot of them had a recurring theme of “this person isn’t who I thought they were.” The best film by technical standards featured a tracking shot of someone running down the street while the cameraman rode alongside him on a bike. The best narrative film was a stop motion animation. The student behind that one had to hand-craft almost 120 individual frames! I’m currently leading my second run of the class, building off of how the last one went. Hopefully, one of these kids will win an Oscar in the future.

There’s also the influence goal on the role-model side I had to worry about. Kids are smart. If they catch you slipping, it’ll affect their impression of you. Obviously, I want to be a good role-model, but it can be daunting at times, especially when you have so many eyes watching you.

Playground squabbles are a common occurrence at school. Often times, I’d have to play mediator and counselor. Each situation is unique, but I feel I’ve gotten better about how I handle them.

One that truly threw me for a loop, though, was when one student consulted me on how to confront another teacher. I’d never been asked this before. Often times, these had to do with peer to peer, student to student. But a student asking how to talk to a teacher about classroom stressors? It was intimidating, in a way. I chose my words carefully, suggesting they take the Matthew 18 approach and praying things wouldn’t spiral out of control.

It’s a wonder I went for a degree in film rather than psychology. However, teaching these kids from the heart, showing them my most genuine self, has been an awe-inspiring blessing. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Be a good uncle

My nephew was born in January of last year. Being the first grandbaby on both sides of the family was a sure indicator that he’d be showered in love. He started off as a very quiet, peaceful baby, which we were all thankful for.

As he got bigger, he got much more giggly. The first time my brother made him laugh, he had him in a chest carrier. He squatted down to pick something up, and all of a sudden, my nephew started giggling. The more my brother bent down, the more my nephew laughed. The next most notable laughing point came when he started pulling my brother’s mask off his face and letting it snap back. I’m starting to sense a pattern.

He recently got a new nickname: “Little Nazgul,” based on the screech he’d made when he wanted something. If you’re not sure what that Lord of the Rings creature is, check the video below. Just…maybe lower your volume a bit.

My brother and sister-in-law have started letting him sleep by himself for naptime. Unfortunately, my nephew does not like that. Each time they put him down to sleep, he starts his nazgul screech. This is where the “good uncle” becomes difficult. As much as I want to just hang out in the room with him so he’ll stay calm, I know that it’s important for him to learn how to entertain himself and put himself to sleep.

Does this mean he doesn’t like me as an uncle anymore? Not necessarily. I don’t mean to brag, but at his first birthday party, he kept reaching out for me to carry him. Very few others got to hold him without him kicking up a fuss. So…mission accomplished?

Make a positive change in my relationship status

Marriage is something I’ve looked forward to, so changing my relationship status from “single” to “taken” made sense as a goal for 2022.

I just didn’t expect my relationship with God to be the dynamic to change. It’s like He knows I like plot twists or something…

My church started a “read through the New Testament for the year” plan, which I stuck to pretty consistently. If I was too wiped at the end of the day to read that day’s reading, I’d make up for it the next morning. People always talk about getting into the Bible more, but it makes a great difference to actually follow through with it. Reading Scripture daily helps put you in a better mindset (which probably helped me leave my impatience behind in 2021).

Also, after much foot-dragging and heel-digging, I started volunteering with the production team at my church. It was another serving of humble pie I had to swallow last year. Instead of thinking about me, I had to consider how I could help others, and this was just the opportunity I needed.  Every Sunday, I’ll show up at 6:30 to set up and run cameras. On top of serving others, I get to improve my camera skills, which in turn helps with my film work. As a bonus, I’ve also been stationed at the switch board on a few occasions. It’s both fun and terrifying being the one calling the shots, but it’s been a great experience nonetheless.

Overall, my emotional and spiritual health has improved from all this. It’s not the relationship status I planned on improving, but it was the one that needed it. I’ve felt like I’ve made major progress in personal breakthroughs. Best part is, if this relationship is healthy, it’ll prepare me for relationships I’ll have in the future.

Finish the first draft of Novel II

As with any chapter book, this was a massive undertaking. Getting my next novel out was one of my highest priorities this year, and that did not come without its challenges. There were some days where I was too tired or too busy to write. Other times, I’d have no motivation. As an author, having times where I need to put words to the page, but can’t, can be utterly demoralizing.

I came across a random internet post that, supposedly, prolific author Terry Pratchett made it a point to write 400 words a day. To novelists like myself, that’s not a lot of words. That’s a few words less than the start of this article through the “Leaving in 2021” section! Also, it’s the internet. Not everything you find on there is believable.

However, I did take some inspiration from that. Yes, 400 words may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but that is still consistent progress. If Terry Pratchett really did use this model when writing, then his 40+ book achievement seems just that much more attainable. After all, 400 words is much easier to edit than 0 words.

I’m reminded of Walking on Water, a book by Madeline L’Engle (A Wrinkle in Time) that I read back in college. She likened art, in all of its forms, to one’s prayer life. We have to engage with them every chance we get, because God and our Art both have something to convey to us, but we don’t always know when that will be. They’re not machines or magic genies. They may have had something to tell us five minutes ago, but we didn’t feel like engaging with them at the time, and now that we do feel like engaging with them, the opportunity has passed.

“We must work every day, whether we feel like it or not; otherwise when it comes time to get out of the way and listen to the work, we will not be able to heed it.”

Now, I still work full time. Even getting 400 words down is a struggle sometimes. So, as to not wear myself out, I’ve made my goal 200 words a day. That way, I can jot stuff down in my brief free moments and still meet my quota without burning myself out.

With that goal set, I put my nose to the grindstone and got to work. If I hit my 200 minimum, I was good. If I went beyond that, even better. As long as I stayed disciplined, I’d get it done. Honestly, this system is pretty similar to how I handled essays back in college: do little bits leading up to the due date, then power the rest of the way through the week of (I called it my “Planned Procrastination,” and it did wonders for my stress levels).

My “last week power session” this time was rough, though. The last week of December, with Saturday being the 31st, I came down with a cold. I had to fight through grogginess, congestion, and body aches, and I still had 5 chapters to go. After all that work during the year, after all the blood, sweat, and tears, I could not bear to fall short due to illness. And yet, despite everything…

I am happy to announce that Fable’s Folklore 2 has been written from start to finish! I’m currently editing the first draft, but my new goal is to get it printed and published this year. A lot more twists and turns are entering the mix, and I can’t wait for you all to see what’s in store for Emile, Marian, and Alice. I’ll be sure to keep everyone posted through IG.

And that has been my 2022. This list really defined my year and helped me focus on what I needed. I may do something like this again for 2023. Last year was an amazing journey. I look forward to what this year has in store, and I’m glad that you’re a part of it. Take care this 2023!