The year begins in a frustratingly low-key way: I’ve been locked inside since Christmas (Santa brought me a positive covid test) and, while I have mostly been okay apart from a loss of appetite and exhaustion, all I have “achieved” is rapidly making my way through Frasier (the episode where Frasier inadvertently starts dating Patrick Stewart’s opera singing character was a particular, recent highlight).
The year also begins with a vague notion of resolutions, though I’ve not exactly had success in the past. The best I’ve ever managed was many years ago, when I decided to stay away from alcohol and lasted until September, when a bartender accidentally gave me a wine instead of a coke and I couldn’t even remember why I’d made the resolution.
But chief among them this year is that I’d like to blog more again. I haven’t had Facebook in so long, I don’t even remember when I got rid of it. I finally deleted Twitter a few months ago (and then man-child Elon got rid of my account) and although I joined Mastodon, I hardly ever check it and I post on it even less. Instagram stopped being fun a while ago and on TikTok I’m just a consumer of media (though I admit, the queer bubble I’m in is lovely).
I read some old posts on here today and it makes me sad that for so much of the last few years, I don’t have any memories written down. I lived in Austria for a while with my wife and this sentence right here is the only record of it on my blog, for heaven’s sake. I admire the stamina, and envy the archive, of friends like Joël who blog every single day.
My story should belong to me, not Elon or Mark. My story should belong on this blog.
I’d like to read more again. God knows that’s a resolution made by many who fail, and it’s definitely true of past me as well. So we’ll see. There’s certainly enough on my pile to keep me entertained without spending any money for a while.
And there’s a few projects I’ve had in the back of my mind for a while, but the pandemic destroyed my creative drive and mental health (and it turns out recovering from burnout takes a long time and, ironically, a lot of work). One project in particular will cost money and I’ve used that as an excuse not to start it, but I don’t want to let that hold me back anymore.
But above all, in 2023, I want to bring back blogging. Join me.
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