About 2016.

I love New Years Eve.  In my head, it’s the reset button… start again.  Last night was the closing night for my improv show, ‘A Christmas Peril.’  The audience was filled with my friends and family.  Afterwards, we went to dinner in Lincoln Park, and I sat at a table of 20 surrounded by friends and family.  It’s moments like this that I realize how lucky I am.  2016 was a shitty year.  I don’t know anyone that necessarily feels differently.  However, as I thought about this post I decided to not focus on that.  Perspective.  So here we go…

2016 was a growth a year.  I started the year without a job.  My best friend moved to New Orleans.  I was lost.  For the first time in a long time I lost my footing.  I’m not often caught off guard.  At the start of 2016 I was caught off guard.  For the first time, in a long time, I was scared.  What now? I had zero direction.  I spent 2016 trying to find myself again.  Who am I?  What’s next?  It was a rebuilding year.  I was fortunate though, because despite the state of my life I was thing was consistent.  I was always surrounded by good people.  I have guidance.  The day of my birthday my friend posted on Facebook, “It takes a village to raise a Henry.”  That is the truth.  That was especially true for this year.  I needed so many distractions this year.  I needed to be around people that I could laugh with.

I could yammer on about how shitty this year was, and how some things didn’t work out, and the disappointment in that.  But why bother?  No one cares, and 2016 wasn’t all bad.  I got a new job, and I actually like it most of the time.  I gained new friends, and became better friends with others.  I got to do improv shows with my friends.  I helped my friends plan their wedding, which was surprisingly really fun for me.  I feel like 2016 made me a better and smarter person.  In 2016 I finally created this blog.  It was always in the back of mind… be unapologetically honest and see what happens. 

I rented a space @ Schuba’s tonight.  A tradition my cousin had years ago.  I’ll just take that over now.  For the second night in a row I’ll get to spend the evening with friends and family.  I made the playlist for tonight –lot’s of Bowie, Prince and George Michael.  I’ll watch the time count down to midnight, and in my head I’ll shake the Etch-A-Sketch and start again.  Anyway, if you’re bored tonight stop by Schuba’s, and regardless of what you do tonight, have a great and safe New Years Eve.  I can’t wait to see what 2017 brings us… x