Every single New Year’s Eve, I marvel at how a whole year has passed since the last one. Wasn’t it just 2010? Wasn’t it just 1990? Wasn’t I JUST praying for it to be 2001 so I could have a valid ID and not have to pretend I’m some 40-year-old Mexican lady to get into dance clubs? Wasn’t I just deciding on the perfect dress to wear to the Y2K celebration in case I died in a midnight Earth implosion? Wasn’t I just getting fake drunk on the virgin margaritas my mom served to all my friends in fifth grade?
Oh, how time passes.
Sigh.
This year I have no plans for dresses or virgin cocktails. I have no plans at all. I could spend the Eve crashing parties or crying myself to sleep. Haven’t decided. The night is my oyster. Either way, I will be celebrating the enormity of 2011.
2011 was full of stuff. My friend, Rick, caps it off well with the best year-end review I’ve ever seen on Vice Magazine. There was planking. Gay marriage in NYC. A whole bunch of murders and springing Arabs all over the Middle East. Japan exploded. Our country was captivated by Casey Anthony and the Kardashians. Many people foreclosed. David Duerson proved that brains can suffer. Joe Bodolai published a riveting suicide note. I talked about suicide on stages all over LA. Shit, this year sounds depressing. Good things happened! Thousands of blackbirds fell from the sky. Shit! Great things happened, I swear. We banded together to occupy things, standing up to our government! Yeah! We’re going to incite government change any day now. Gabrielle Giffords was shot in the head (depressing), but survived (yay!), confirming my stance on gun control. Fuck guns and Walmart (except when I need some cheap dish sponges). People went crazy because Steve Jobs died. I know he was smart and all, but people went really crazy. (spoiler alert: we’re all gonna die.) Elizabeth Taylor died too. We celebrated the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Lots of deaths, but great news too! I swear. Like… politics got really funny. Muslims protected Christians in Egypt. Humanity helped each other out in unexpected ways. Harry Potter ended. NASA discovered a new planet! And I shall mention it again: Gay Marriage in NYC!
In my personal year, my friend and mentor Mike DeStefano died (Shit. More deaths.). I spent a month in Honduras writing a book on suicide and falling in love with Spaniards. I studied my brain in a school for brain study. I scored a new column on KCET and today I am on Tiny Buddha! I shot a video for Funny or Die! I’m in the middle of trapeze school and considering running away to be in the circus. For real. (anything to get away from cubicles). Most of all, I’ve learned to really enjoy myself and have more fun. I learned how to fall in love with people and life. I am slowly learning that I am enough just how I am. I am learning what really matters in my life (not money!). All this makes 2011 my best year yet. Despite all those deaths.
Love to all y’all in the new year and beyond. And all those past years too. Weren’t they JUST yesterday?
{ 14 comments }
…and aren’t tomorrows only future yesterdays..? Happy New Year Laurenne. You are the best and I sincerely mean that!
Love & Rockets!
Mark
Happy New Year, MARK! YOU are the best. I sincerely mean that. Thank you for alllll your continued support and comments and love and rockets and smiles.
Love getting to be your west coast Mom and watching you perform just about everywhere. I loved hearing your tales and your adventures. Just love you Laurenne. More of the best to you in 2012. I will be tagging along with you for pay of course!!!
Thanks, Madgey Madgical.
Oh my GOD! Where are you taking trapeze? I used to take trapeze. But it was in Colorado. And my year long membership for unlimited flying time was like two hundred dollars or something. When I moved to LA the few places I found cost obscene amounts of money.
When you run away to join the circus can I come? I also used to spin fire poi. So I have two things I could pick back up. And I have been dreaming of running away with a circus since I was five and told my mom I wanted to be a contortionist when I grew up.
All true.
Also, this has been my best year yet too. Until I join the circus of course. Glad you have been part of it.
Glad you have been part of it! Let’s go to trapeze! Funnest thing I’ve ever done EVER. And then the circus. 2012= year of circus.
Happy New Year to you, my dear. This year was so huge for me because I met you (in person), and you inspired me to get up on stage and read my stuff. Game changer. Thank you for shining such a bright light down the path ahead.
Love you!
simone
… but meeting me was the highlight. You don’t have to write about it. It’s an unspoken truth.
Yes, of course! Meeting you was the absolute highlight. IT WAS! I actually miss you, friend. Where ya been?
“I am enough just how I am”
That’s a good year, all by itself. Looking forward to tracking your adventures in the year ahead. Trapeze School? i just met a woman in Turkey who’d been to Circus School (stilts). i had no idea this existed… well, other than that creepy “Clown College” thing that Ringling does…
Hi Laurenne!
I read your post on Tiny Buddha.
You’re my hero.
Tim Venable
sounds like a productive year for you – looking forward to seeing what 2012 brings… for all of us! happy new year from the ok.
I just caught up on your blog and I would like to say that a) I will buy your Mom’s house. If monopoly money is proper currency b) Joseph only believed Mary because I’m sure she convinced him it was his idea. and c) great recap. Trapeze is pretty much the most uplifting activity ever. BAD PUNS 2012!!
We all know you buy the cheap dish sponges from the 99 cent store. Come on. It’s 2012. No one goes to Wal-mart anymore mainly because it’s on Crenshaw and someone told me to not go there.
I don’t understand the phrase, “The night is my oyster.” What if you’re allergic? Or don’t like pearls or some such. It should be “the night is my popcorn.” Because it can start from nothing and become great! Think about it. Are you done thinking? Good. Because I don’t think I like that one anymore either.
2012 is hard.