Learning From 2009

I’ve been looking back on 2009 a bit lately. I don’t want to dwell too much on the past because, honestly, 2009 was a tough year. It was better for me than it was for a lot of people, but it was still a tough one. We had unexpected bills, frustrations, sickness, and other difficult times. We always have those things, but it seems that it was more noticeable in 2009.

As I’m now reaching that age where I’m old enough to be called “sir” by most of the cashiers at Wal-Mart (and, yes, I hate it), I’m trying to be responsible and look back on last year as though I might learn something from it.

2009 was a year of learning for me. I got involved in politics in the last part of 2008, and I spent most of 2009 learning about politics – procedures, rules, party affiliations, voting histories, pundits, political blogs, campaigns and much more. I’ve made some friends in the political realm who have challenged me to really examine what I believe and why I believe it. I’m not going to name names, but most of you people know who you are.

This summer I bought a Canon SLR camera, and it’s provided me with an opportunity to learn a bit about photography. I’m not even close to really understanding all that makes up a good photo, but I’ve enjoyed learning about the art (and have learned to recognize it as an art). I even got lucky on a few occasions and ended up with some decent photos.

At work, I learned a lot, too. We expanded our IT operations quite a bit in 2009, and I had the opportunity to lead the majority of that effort. I work 5 days a week with some of my best friends, and though there are days I’d like to punch one or more of them, most of the time I feel no tendency toward violence when I’m at work. We keep kids safe online and protect families, and I’m proud to be a part of something so much bigger than a company’s bottom line.

Then there’s church. I’ve had the opportunity to change roles within the Tech Team and am now doing the video production for the services. That’s not something I would have ever expected to get to do, but I absolutely love it. There are all sorts of buttons and gadgets and levers to push. Those of you who know me well know how important that is.

I learned a lot at home this year, too. For example, I’ve learned that I know nothing about girls. Absolutely nothing. I do try though, so hopefully I get credit for that. I’ve also learned that teaching my son how to throw a punch might not have been my brightest moment. (He’s figured out how to put some weight behind the punches, and it’s not as fun for me as it used to be.)

That’s a basic roundup of my 2009. I hope that whatever happened in your 2009, you’ll be able to take something away from it to help make 2010 a great year.

Tagged as: 2009, 2010, learning, New Year