Monday, January 4, 2010

2010: The Year of When!

Happy new year to everyone!

I love to label years, it seems to encourage a good year. For example, in 1994, I had just broken up with a boyfriend of 3 years and changed jobs. On New Year's Eve, I was with a group of friends and decided the next year would be about me: Kate, 95! I turned it into a motto: Keep All The Excitement. In 1995, I met my future husband and got my dream job at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.

In 2008, well that was obvious: Kate 2008! Hey, it rhymed. That was the year I started at the Arden Theatre, Stage Managed Candide (one of the hardest and most rewarding shows I have worked on), and went on a fabulous 40th birthday vacation in San Francisco and Napa Valley. Oh, and I started to blog is 2008.

I know that giving a year a label doesn't actually make it a good year but it can't hurt. It's a good way to remember my goals for the year (I hate to call them resolutions). I've named this year: The Year of When, which rhymes but isn't exactly self-explanatory. The Year of When is when I'm going to get around to doing things that I keep saying I'm going to do. Did that sentence just make sense? Anyway, I've been saying for years that I want to learn how to sing and tonight I had my first singing lesson! I can't match pitch and always thought I was tone-deaf but I found out tonight that I'm not tone-deaf and there is a possibility that I can learn to match pitch. It's all very exciting.

For Christmas, instead of getting Rock Band for Wii, the kids got actual rock instruments: Clara got a drum set and Jorge got a 3/4 size electric guitar. We're all taking lessons together: Look out Partridge family!

I'm a bit nervous but determined to carry-on so that when I'm 80, I won't lament that I never learned to sing. I've been inspired in this by Julia Child -- I happen to be watching Julie and Julia as I write this. Not as good, I might add as My Life in France because I'd much rather just watch the Julia Child portion, but I digress -- she didn't learn how to cook until she was 37! So you see, it's never too late.

I have a few other things I'd like to accomplish this year, nothing serious: run more than 13 miles (I still have my sights on a marathon but I'm going to take it slow), learn how to knit (it'll give me something to do backstage), and read more. But if I can just learn how to sing, if I can just go out one night and sing at karaoke without making a fool of myself, I will be ecstatic! Then, I will feel like I can do anything!

Wish me luck!

8 comments:

  1. i hope your year of when goes well. let me know when the album comes out. smiles.

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  2. Haha good luck indeed, although in my experience being 'able' to sing is no prerequisite for karaoke!

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  3. My son has dubbed the new year Two Thousand and THEN. He is only four, so he has done this entirely by accident, but around here it has stuck. So I think we are just going to need to stay busy...and then, and then, and then.

    Good luck on the singing.

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  4. It's a trend. Everyone I know is seeking a sense of fulfillment or accomplishment this year. I like the name - The Year of When.

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  5. I love your idea of naming the year. I shall have to think of what I will call mine.

    I have always wanted to sing. I've tried knitting and it doesn't do a thing for me but maybe embriodery...

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  6. Julia didn't publish til she was fifty! there's hope for us all.

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  7. Hello! I was directed here by my good friend, Tracey. I really enjoyed reading a few posts and hearing about what you do. I reviewed Julie and Julia on my latest post, if you are interested. I am also off to yoga tonight. Ohmmmmmm.

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  8. Kate: Good job with the singing lessons and with following through! Now, you've got me thinking...

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