Another year and the world didn't end!

So, as the year draws to an end, we can all breath a sigh of relief (or cry in despair) that the world has not come to an end.  For me, this was a year of momentous changes.  Both high and low.

For instance, I became a first time uncle this year.  My car was wrecked by an inattentive driver.  I made the decision to leave my extremely exploitive position at the photo studio on my terms which has taken the burden of being frustrated over screw ups off my back.  And my grandfather, the last of my grandparents passed away.

I also found out that I could indeed live within my means and rely less heavily on credit cards that have rates which ought to qualify them as loan sharking.  It was a struggle, though.  I had to give up so many simple pleasures, ration out or sacrifice necessities to obtain something I wanted.  It's rather amusing to realize that I've begun to master the skill of delayed gratification.

No matter the circumstances, seeing a new healthy child come into this world seems to fill me with hope.  To hold a newborn in my arms and see the rapid changes from sleeping babe to active toddler is amazing!  And for the first time, I will have a child calling me uncle (well when the kid learns to talk that is)!  I have a silly smile on my face even as I type this.

My grandfather passed away this year.  He was 96.  I am sad but in awe of the amount of time he has spent on this earth!  He was a smoker most of his life too.  From my perspective, his health deteriorated more after he quit smoking in his 80ies.  I'm roughly 1/3 of his age, so I know that I will likely have a similar number of years to live.

As you may or may not be aware of, I work as a photographer taking portraits for a studio.  In their effort to wring as much money as possible in a poor economy, they have been pushing their photographers to do more with less.  It's gotten to the point that I almost feel no joy or desire to remain as a photographer.  This year, I made my decision to pick a date when I would no longer be an employee for them.  Just the knowledge that there is an end to this exploitation that I call a job has reduced the burden of responsibility and allowed me to bear the extra work and increased demands of this company that were not part of my job description when I first started.

I am realistic and know that I can't replace my departed Lexus with something similar.  I could easily despair that I'm losing ground with the need to replace the car with something cheaper, with less power and a poorer track record for reliability.  (For a split second, I thought about it though) However, I also recalled the money I spent at the beginning of the year to try to keep up maintenance on my 18 year old car.  Not to mention the things that broke off of it, like the exhaust system falling out of the car or the frozen brake caliper that damaged my new rotors.  It would have amounted to a decent down payment to a new car.

If I hadn't had to do emergency repairs to my now wrecked car, I'd actually be ahead this year.  I'm rather proud of that fact.  And in spite of living within my real income, I have managed to position myself for a more prosperous year in 2013.  I'm hopeful that I can continue to live on my shoestring budget and find enough money to replace my car.

So, raise a glass and toast the bright new year.  I know that I took an eight year detour that seems to be bringing me back to the path I had planned to be on all those years ago.  I have more financial restraint and the resilience I've discovered in those dark years will only help in the future that looks so bright.  To a brighter new year!