Sunday, December 20, 2009

Goodbye, first entire decade I can remember


Here it is. It is the end of the year here.
I listen to the same song every single time I write a brave and unbalanced blog. It's only two minutes and fifty-two seconds long, so it repeats probably about forty times each time I write a blog, which has been 144 times, counting this one. From going through the motions of doing the terrifyingly complex math with my math brain, I have gained the information that this means I have listened to my blog song approximately 5760 times. That's a lot of times to listen to one song that is a lone piano. But it works out for me, especially when I'm feeling puky verbose. Which is a lot. Not puky in a bad way, puky in a goodness-me-some-words-must-burst-forth-presently way. The song helps me to release this bursting in a timely way, usually.

Guess what the song's called? It's called The Engagement.

I stand here at the end of the year. I am tired.

Yes, I had mononucleosis at the beginning of this year. Actually, I had it starting with a tearful blood test in the studen health center last December--and the strain agitated my liver/gallbladder/everything else so much that in February I had to drop out of school, move home, and be in bed for two months. I laid in bed and watched House and read some books for two months. Hepatitis Hepatitis Hepatitis Jaundiced. Sleep Sleep Shower Lay In Bed Ouch.

THEN I became engaged in April to Mr. Andy Sherwin after knowing Mr. Andy Sherwin for 2 1/2 weeks. Months later, on a cool night in July, I became unengaged from Mr. Andy Sherwin in another whirlwind of events, and then flopped around like a really pathetic gasping fish for a while. Then the relationship finally ended completely and I was dumped back into some water.

At first, looking back at my year and seeing only two big fat ones slapped onto it--

"MONONUCLEOSIS MY LIVER HURT AND I WAS SOOOO BORED AND FELT USELESS AND UNFULFILLED"

and "MARRIAGE THAT WAS THE EPITOME OF RUSHED INTO AND DIDN'T HAPPEN"

felt terrible. I thought, "how am I ever, ever going to share these experiences without sounding like the sorriest Sally in the whole world?"
But I figured it out. Not that bad, I realized.

The First was an annoying health issue that has yet to have healed itself completely, which has erased forever my former ability to get next-to-no sleep, eat crappily, exercise 0%, and take poor care of myself. I have had to retrain my body to attune it to a stricter regiment in order to not keel over once again. Once a serious strain of mono bug, always a serious strain of mono bug. And after being the same way for twenty years about my almost anti-health regimen, it has been a growing pain in the nethers to try and change.

The Other was an embarrassing mistake. Embarrassing for other people, I mean. They get embarrassed when they ask about it, and then embarrassed for me that it happened and then didn't happen. People continue to walk up to me and ask "hey, when are you getting married?" five months after the fact. A woman in church actually asked me about a month ago how my husband was doing. I laughed. I didn't mean to. If I had a dollar for all the award-winningly OUCHIE OUCHIE cringes I've received in the last few months, I'd have eight bazillion dollars.

I have come up with a clever catch phrase regarding the x-ed nuptials, which I shoot at any inquiring minds as quickly and tactfully as possible, peppering it with as many "it's OK"s and reassuring hand-waggles as possible. It's clever enough without being insensitive to him or me or our situation that they usually titter on and on about it, which is a helpful deflection from their feeling terribly insensitive for asking.

People get it. Some people get it, and some people don't. And that's OK. I know that the experience is something I have learned from. I know that I'm feeling quite a bit better about all of it. And I know that I am eternally grateful to him for recognizing the differences that just wouldn't get us through an entire life together (or months, even) and for making sure that we would both be on the paths that would make us the happiest.

I see the two experiences I have put myself through this year with my eyeballs and with my heart. Like I said above, they weren't pleasant at first. Neither of them (regarding the unengagement process, not the engagement itself) were ever pleasant in the slightest. They sucked big time. Sucked more than anything hath ever sucketh in the history of my really short life.

But.

I feel as though I have learned more this year than I've learned in my entire life.
I feel as though I learn one hundred times as much in each month of each new year than in the entire year beforehand.
And if that's how it's going to continue to be, I am getting the whole "eternity" thing a lot better than I used to.


I have learned better this year to perceive what I really believe, because my "beliefs" were knocked flat for the first time by the littlest baby wimp breeze and I had to grope around in the slimy dark for the things that really meant something to me, what I really inherently knew. It was scary. But I did it. And I can do it again.
I have learned better this year that I cannot continually beat the crap out of myself with no sleep, fried food, candy, and laying around. That I can actually eat salad. That it doesn't taste that bad. That I feel better doing what is better for my body.
I have learned better this year a fraction of the infinite and understanding love that God has for me.
I have learned better this year how to be more considerate of the feelings of other people.
I have learned better this year about the true value of people who care about you, and how to love them in spite of their imperfections, whatever they may be.
I have learned better this year to stop dreading alone time and start valuing the quiet hours in which I can be alone with my thoughts.
I have learned better this year what I might be good at doing for the rest of my life, in fact, I am quite sure of what I want to be. And that is a big deal.


I have learned to wake up each morning and remind myself of the blessing that my life is, of the blessings that include pistachios, my little sister, burned CDs because those of us from the CD generation still do that sometimes, raspberry-almond tarts, and David Sedaris.

in 2010, I shall
perform in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels February-April with probably the most talented cast that I will ever have the privilege of being a part of
transition from major 1 to major 2, which is considerably harder and involves 6+ more years of schooling
convince Emily and Ames to have a baby
meet my birthmother
turn 21
greet dozens and dozens of friends arriving home from various places around the world
attend the wedding of my BEST Lanee and be her bridesmaid
go on a mission?
become a master chef?
learn to reupholster?
conquer the earth?
invent the internet?

I'll see you then.
Thank you all for the love and unending support you've shown me this year by stopping by shortly, following, leaving a comment or two, or just plain being a friend.
I can't tell you how much it means to me.
Check out my year just below. Lotsa pictures.

15 comments:

Casey T. said...

I'm glad you have become a brave and learned woman this year.

other than that I just have one thing to say.

I told you salad was good!

Sierra Robinson said...

Blast it all Julie, you beat me to my end of the year blog punch. But that is ok because it was eloquent.

Tracy said...

Julie-

I just want you to know that I love reading your blog. And it was fun to run into you for 11 seconds in the library last week.

Happy Christmas

Tracy

Brittany said...

thanks for sharing this.
and i know what you mean about being alone with yourself. its hard to learn, but its wonderful.

i have looooved reading your thoughts here. thanks for letting me snoop.

Marcindra LaPriel said...

Once again, thank you for an excellent and inspiring post. With this post under my belt I feel a little more prepared to greet my next trial.

Anna said...

Dear Julie.
You are one of the most gorgeous people I know! It was very relaxing to listen to The Engagement while I watched your pictures slowly scroll by...Aaaaaa...You are so amazing.

Love,Your bum crumb chicken, Anna

Liesl said...

Julie, I have to be honest: I listened to "The Heart of Life" by John Mayer while reading your entry, and then the song switched to "Us" by Regina Spektor as I looked at your pictures. I'm so sorry. I have to say, they made a fair substitute.

And hey, thanks for sharing what happened in your life this year. It was lovely to read.

@emllewellyn said...

Okay you've convinced me. We'll have a baby.


...what the WHAT.

Lisa said...

Thank you, Julie. Thank you thank you.

Sometimes more words than those are too many.

You're wonderful. :)

Brady and Jane said...

Juleser ruleser, baby girl, loved this. And I love you. I'm home from Jerusalem, and the time has come for us to see each other again come January. It's a new year, bring it on life! I love you!

MedSchoolWife said...

Julie, I loved this. I love your writing, and I love the perspective you seem to have gained on your life. And good luck with the new major! We lit freaks will miss you. xoxo

Elder Roxas said...

I love you, Julie Garbutt. :)

I also feel like your "I feel as though I learn one hundred times as much..." sentence is worth my quoting somewhere, maybe on my Tumblr blog. And I'll probably do so shortly.

Also: salad is amazing and bless you for finding this out.

Anna said...

Julie, Thank you for writing this. I wish I was half as wise as you have truly came over the years. You have no Idea how much of an impact you have been in my life and I truly wish I had more of the privlage to be around you more so you could rub some of that wisdom in my life because I'm kind of lost my self. I only have one request and it is that I get to sit down with you sometime and have a big long talk with you because I think that would be the absolute best thing ever ha ha ok Well done on this and I love you alot.

Unknown said...

so, what's your new major?

Emily said...

I can't believe it. 10 years. Where has the time gone?!
I remember back in 1999, I was 6 years old. We were shopping at a super market and I ran over to a New Years stand with decorations and things for 2000 and exclaimed, "Two-hundred!"
"No," My aunt said laughing, "two-thousand..."
Ahh well, I was a bit confused. :)

Hope 2010 is grand!