2013 - It's Been Swell - Avicii, Gravity & Lady Gaga

Reflections.

As the end of 2013 draws to a close it's time for reflections. Yes, of the way life used to be. Once again we find ourselves asking the questions. How is it already December? Where did all the time go? Can you believe it's going to be 2014? Why are we still talking about Hannah Montana? And all those other useless questions we ask ourselves when we recognize, from a distance, how much time has passed.

I know that 2013 has been a trying year for a lot of my friends. We all seem to be aging quicker. Our parents and grandparents seem to be aging quicker. Many of us have had to say goodbye. I, in fact, had to say goodbye to Grandma Joy. There is nothing like the death of a loved one to remind you of your mortality. Saying goodbye to my Grandma was a loud reminder of the transience of life.


Grandma Joy circa 1943.

So, I made a lot of personal changes. Changing cities, reorganizing priorities, making time for the ones who count. Falling in love again with my writing, watching movies, long distance running, cooking. Things that the tides of many years, mainly my late 20's, had simply washed away. It reminds me of the lyrics from that Avicii song Wake Me Up, "All this time I was finding myself and I didn't know I was lost." One of the best songs of the year, in my humble opinion, or rather, IMHO, as the kids say.

Transitions are hard. Being alone is hard. Sometimes even wanting to go on can be hard. All things that I can relate to. Which is why I connected so much with director Alfonso Cuarón's movie Gravity. This is what I wrote on my Facebook page after first seeing the film - "The single best Clooney film. The single best Bullock film. Rarely does the art of film transcend itself. Exceptional." After seeing the movie multiple times, I stand by those words.




Gravity. Cuaron. Clooney. Bullock.
 

Performances aside, which like I said are out of this world, (pun intended) the film is basically an allegory of human existence. Some people thought the symbolism might have been a bit heavy handed but considering what 2013 meant to a lot of people I love, it spoke to me. And after all, isn't that what movies are suppose to do. Gravity is this; losing a loved one, starting over, losing everything, fighting for everything, giving up on everything, getting your second wind, coming back from what seems like hell and becoming a better person for it. That's life.

2013 hasn't been all hardships though. There have been some truly wonderful things that have transpired. Let's see...

Adele won an Oscar for Best Song for Skyfall. That was nice, wasn't it?
Kelly Clarkson is pregnant. That's fantastic. Definitely something the world can get excited about.
McRib made an appearance again this year. Thank God. I was getting worried about my little pork buddy.
The band Imagine Dragons aren't really radioactive. It's just a catchy little ditty they thought of. (That borderlines on false advertising.)
That stupid girl who said she didn't get a tip because she was gay. She lied and got caught. Hooray for humanity.
George Zimmerman was found innocent. American justice still works! Go America.
Lady Gaga lives for the applause. Whatever you do, don't stop clapping.
Duck Dynasty has A LOT of fans. Ignorance be damned!

Seriously though, there are some truly inspiring things that have happened in 2013...

16 year old Malala Yousafzai who stood up to the Taliban is now a leading pioneer in human rights.
A healthy royal baby boy was born. Welcome Prince George.

Batkid Miles Scott in San Francisco.

Laura Mae Davis found the diary of a man she loved in a World War II museum.
Barbara Garcia found her dog alive in the rubble after the Oklahoma tornado. Live on TV!
Those three Cleveland woman were found after missing for more than 10 years.
Pope Francis seems kinda cool.
The football players at Olivet Middle school forged a secret play so a teammate with learning disabilities could score a touch down.
5 year old leukemia patient, Miles Scott, got to play Batkid for a day.

But I don't want to belittle these stories by trying to write about them. I'll stick to what I know. Movies, pop culture and stuff.

So, 2013. Wow. It's been swell.

Thank you for the growth. Thank you for the challenges. Thank you for the surprise Beyonce album.

But I'm really looking forward to moving on and having a fantastic 2014.