Sunday, January 1, 2017

Day One: Frank Words for the New Year

When many people are trying to plan their goals or get started on new year's resolutions, I find myself on the first day of a brand new year just sitting here assessing what happened in 2016, both good and bad. I'm not only doing this as a writer but probably more importantly as a person.

The year was not that great on a personal level. Lots of things happened and among them the breakup of my marriage. The fallout extended over the second half of the year and I nursed some hopes for reconciliation but in the end it didn't happen. I had a great time with a friend who offered to take me to New York City for a getaway to get my head straight. After I returned, I ended up in the hospital because of my undiagnosed hypertension on Labor Day. I spent a month or so adjusting to life in a separate place. Finally I was hit again when at the close of the year, my wife ended up hospitalized too. As of this writing, she is still there recovering from a rare disorder that left her paralyzed.

Needless to say, I didn't do a lot of writing this year. I did publish a few books, especially near the end that helped my tiny company come out a little better than I expected.

So, I'm here now at the beginning of a new year, trying to figure out the road ahead. As a publisher, I already have a few things in development. As a writer, I have some thoughts too, but I'm still trying to flesh those out. As a human being, I back to taking each day one at a time, practicing a bit more mindfulness, and with some luck getting some crucial pieces of my life together again.