Downshift Musings

I am feeling like I need to mourn 2019 for a little bit. Not because it was a good year. It was a mixed year, but it ended in a negative way, which is such a shame.

Things I’d like to Celebrate

• Genevieve graduated!!!! (maybe even a few more exclamation points are needed.) Our oldest child is a college graduate and is now learning about “adulting”.
• We went on a fabulous family trip to Italy (Milan, Florence, Venice and Trieste), which I planned so that Genevieve could see the art and history that she had been studying for her Medieval and Renaissance Studies minor.
• Rich and I went on a walking trip to Scotland with our friends Misty and Brian (the “Whiskey Walk” along the Spey River).
• I lost 8 pounds by using the Weight Watchers WW app.
• I started learning piano at age 51! Performed in my first musicale on January 4th.

Other positives

• I participated in The Bible Challenge (reading the whole bible in a year). I’m only days from completing it (we started February 1, 2019) and looking forward to celebrating.
• I embraced Bullet Journaling as a great way to plan, de-clutter my brain and track my habits
• “You Need a Budget” app – I originally explored this as a way to help the kids manage their money, but I LOVE IT!

Regrets

• My job. I felt purposeless and under-appreciated most of the year. My company sold off the main business I supported to a competitor and ultimately canceled my remaining project and laid off my group.
• I had a goal to finish a craft project and never seemed to have time for it. Blogging and crafts pretty much didn’t happen this year.
• I tried to adopt too many new things into my life at once (improving my Spanish, learning some Italian, meditation). I ended up sticking to only piano and bible study.
• Realizing I am “old” for my career space. Finding a new job has been very challenging because I have too many years of experience and command too high a salary. The right fit is harder to come by in a field that values youth. Hey, I AM NOT A “BOOMER”, but I might as well be.

What looking up?

OMG, OMG, OMG! I am going back the Camino!!!

I took a chance and did something I’d been wanting to do since we got back and I wrote an article for my church newsletter inviting folks to join me on a shortened version of the Camino Francès (Camino de Santiago). I now have a group of 8 pilgrims in addition to myself that I will help guide on a pilgrimage next September/October. I thought I might end up getting 3 or 4 people who were interested, so this is super exciting.

OK, I still don’t have a job and this is an uncomfortable feeling for me, but the opportunities are coming in and I will find a place that will value me and my experience and where I can make valuable contributions. I am reminded of a great line from the movie “The Mummy” where Rachel Weisz says “Patience is a virtue” and then Brenden Fraser replies “Not right now it isn’t!”