Calendars sure are stubborn. I check mine daily and it is still 2016 no matter how much I try to will the page to turn to January 2017. I know many other people feel the same way I do about this year. But getting real for a moment, it is just another year. It isn’t fair to blame the calendar or the universe, but it feels better to do so, doesn’t it? This year was definitely one marked with a lot of…meh. At other times, there were deep exhales, dramatic sighs and exclamations of “Ugh!” and “damn it!” And yeah, I have to be honest. There were some “Aww, fuck!” moments, too. A lot of them in 2016 actually.
But 2017 is here. Well, almost here. And I have some news to share.
I had this bright idea for how to end the year on one of my social media accounts – my Facebook page – I say bright idea and had because as I am in the middle of setting it up, frankly the project is a big pain in the ass but I do hope when it’s all done, some people might enjoy it. So I guess I’ll spill the beans now… starting the morning of New Year’s Eve… I will be turning over my Facebook account to the music of 2016. Well, not the music from the Billboard charts or what you heard on the radio but instead what you heard there – with me – on my Facebook page. My daily #SongOfTheDay feature will get one more sashay on the dance floor as every 10 minutes a new day’s song will post. That’s right all 366 days from this leap year 2016 will play once more for your listening pleasure, straight from my Facebook and Twitter pages. So you can hear some of your favorites you enjoyed the first time around or catch up on what you missed. I hope you’ll enjoy it. It seemed like a great way to bid 2016 farewell.
And whenever one speaks of closing out one year, that does mean the launch of a new one, and 2017 will be a little different for me next year. You see, I haven’t devoted much time to writing this year for a number of different reasons, excuses and such. I definitely plan to change that next year. But I have one major goal in 2017 and that is to be more present in the moment — which includes in my daily interactions with the people here at home, and to do that, it means I need to step back a bit from social media. That doesn’t mean I’m going away. No, not at all. But it does mean a change in landscape a bit, less about selling books or churning out daily songs and more about living and using my blog and subsequently those other pages to journal what I am experiencing, making observations and sharing anything that I think might inspire another person as a direct result of my own lessons or battles. The more active I am out here interacting in my own physical surroundings, the more I can give back through my writing and in whatever interaction I can offer to you, my friends and readers at my blog, at Facebook, at Twitter, wherever.
I’ve made no secret that this year has been a draining one for me – physically, emotionally and spiritually. I look to 2017 as a way to recharge and that means stepping outside here, being offline more, taking in the smell of the trees, the chirping of the birds and scurrying of the squirrels skirting the top of the fence and the very intrusive whirring of that really loud biplane flying overhead right now as I type, hanging out with my dog, spending quality time with my hubby and family … it means pulling away some from the virtual to get lost in the actual and then finding the healthiest blend of the two to support my own journey to heal and inspire. I hope that through the words that result, maybe I can end up supporting others better, those on their own journeys and tending to whatever their battle scars may be.
So… look for lots and lots of words next year and back to back days of nonstop music very soon to wrap up our year with a nice pretty bow. Oh, and speaking of bows, I do want to encourage you to follow this awesome author challenge that my good friend, writer SJ Warner has launched over on Facebook. (You may have already seen me posting about it on my Facebook and Twitter pages…)
It’s called Tied with a Red Velvet Bow Author Challenge. #TWARVBAuthorChallenge Those writers who signed up – and, yes, I am among the scribes – were given the task to create a literary piece, be it poem or short story, that incorporated those words “tied with a red velvet bow” somewhere within the piece. Each day from December 12 through December 24, this holiday literary celebration will feature as many as two writers daily. (Psst, I’m the second one on Dec. 22!) Now I must point out that we are a varied bunch of writers across genres including romance and erotica, so this literary event is designated 18+ as some of us may write nice pieces and others quite naughty ones. But I hope that if you are on Facebook, you’ll join the event so you can receive these wonderful links every day in your feed. Be sure to stop over to the event and check it out!
I suppose I’ve done enough yapping for one morning. The sun is shining bright, and I have a perky, tail-wagging friend here who wants to play a little fetch with his toy. I wish you all a beautiful rest of the day. Hang in there throughout all of the maddening pre-holiday activities for those who celebrate. And get ready for delicious words and music… taking place now and later this month. Catch you again soon. ~ Chris xo
Follow Chris!