Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Refelctions For a Decade Gone Bye

30 Day Blogging Challenge

PROMPT January 1st
Welcome to 2020! As we start a new decade, take the time in your entry today to look back on the previous decade (2010-2019). Write about some of the major milestones from the past ten years. When you look back on your life over the past decade, what events stand out as most noteworthy and significant?

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a great and prosperous new year.

So today's prompt is reflective. Reflection is good... but this time it is for the whole decade not just the last year. Okay, I can do this....

Milestones; things that are most noteworthy and significant.

First thing that pops to mind is my marital breakdown, separation and divorce... I have to say, I'm glad that's over. I am still healing from this... and will probably continue to feel the ache of that loss. I am still trying to tell myself it was for the best, but I can't help feeling I failed in some way.

I am currently living with my 81 year old mother and find that it is a good place for me to be.

But on a happier note, the last decade has had me returning to my writing. It started with doing NaNoWriMo in 2012 and from their it has blossomed. I joined WDC in 2013 - 4 months after my first NaNoWriMo and my confidence grew. I have always said WDC is my Online home. I have made many friends and developed my writing chops by taking on challenges that have helped me grow as a writer. I am forever grateful for that aspect. With the help of an online growing confidence and more freedom in my life without my marriage, I have turned to finding friends who share my love of writing - online and off. I have several groups close to home that I get together with on a regular basis. Face to face interactions make being accountable part of my bag of tricks. I meet with a group every couple of weeks to set goals and check in on my progress (both in writing and in my life). One of the goals I reached... or am in the process of achieving is getting published. I have a short story in an anthology coming out soon... hopefully. It is also in a genre I never considered I could write in.

Having writing friends means always having someone around who gets you... and can kick your butt when you need it. For that I am grateful.

I have returned to taking writing workshops (something I stopped doing when I was married) and have attended several writing retreats and a conference. Each is another step forward.

I still don't have my own classroom to teach, but supply work has picked up and I am currently working in a special education class. It's in a school I love and I am working with a group of people I really like. I love the feeling of belonging and hope I can stay on for most of the school year. I have had several really good Long Term Occasional (LTO) teaching positions like this one over the years. It would be great to have my own class, but this kind of work - in an LTO - allows me to be part of a team and still have time to write when I am not exhausted.

Beyond that there isn't too much more. I did have a 50th birthday and so have many of my friends, but that is simply the passage of time.

As A sum up I would probably say this decade was one of re - finding myself after being lost.