It's a new year and I've been purging myself of the Internet for the last while. I've been doing other things, visiting with friends and loved ones and generally having a nice time without the bother of wondering who was online and whether I wanted to see them. I've had a remarkably good holiday. It's been so good to get home, enjoy the little things I love about Christmas at home, and the company of people I care for. I'm not going to bother with a re-cap, there is no time. 2006 has been upon us for eight days and aside from ringing it in with a terrible cold, and spending it's earliest days mostly in bed, it's been good so far. I am grateful for all the good things in my life, the food, family, and friends. I am lucky. I am loved.

2005 was a very interesting year that taught me many things about myself, good and bad, and I had many varied, exciting experiences. I am a far more complicated person than I thought I was, with many layers, interests, and facets to my personality. I have goals and desires, short and long, and, God willing, 2006 will allow me to attain them. I wish everyone were able to reflect upon the past year and see the same remarkable changes and growth in their lives and look forward to the future with optimism and excitement.

In brief, some of the fun things I've done included going dancing with an old friend and his brother, even if it was at a meat-market club in town. D&D was good and not at all awkward like it might have been, considering R-- was there. In fact, it went so well, I have no hesitation about future sessions. :) I hope that can continue. I went to see Narnia, which was a special film and left me feeling elated. I finally saw the Peterborough Petes play, after 9 years of semi-living here. And, despite the very creepy inflated ref that waves about every time a goal is scored, and the disturbing mascot, it was a blast. I would even do it again. There was a lot of good food, and fun, and whatnot.

In other news, I have been asked by a close friend to delete a post from over a year ago about something that happened which was very unpleasant and nasty. I do not believe in revision, particularly of personal feelings or experiences, and though I love the person who asked very much, and love the person who is implicated as well, I will not delete this post. I have censored names, and that is as far as I am willing to go. The entry reflects my deeply upset feelings, and though I have moved on, I am not going to brush them under the rug. Beyond that, it reflected feelings about a good deal more than just that single incident, and the idea of deleting it is offensive to me.

Perhaps I ought to stop keeping a journal. Perhaps it does me more harm than good, in the long run. I will consider this, but I will not revise my content. If I wish to keep a journal and discuss my personal feelings, express my feelings, that is my decision. No one forces anyone to read this journal. If I google my name, I do so with the knowledge that I might not be thrilled by what I find. And, when the events discussed herein have visibly affected my life, changed it, those events are -clearly- significant, have had lasting outcomes, and I have every right to talk about them.

So, I shall weigh the pros and cons of keeping this journal active, but I will NOT erase it, nor pretend that things which have occured are forgotten or unimportant. And, as I once said to a close old friend who didn't like what I'd had to say about him, "You get lots of good coverage, but if you behave like a dink to me or my loved ones, I'm allowed to talk about that, too. Best solution I can think of is not to behave like a dink."

Let's make 2006 the year of behaving well toward others, let's take the fodder away from the bloggers, and then maybe we won't have reason to be upset by what we find out about ourselves when we troll the Internet. ;)

Happy New Year.