I saw this post over on Davey’s blog, It’s Craney, and, like you do, stole it to blog here as possibly my last post for 2025. Given the year I’ve had it seems apt.
The 40 Questions you should ask at the end of a year was originally made in 2016 by Obsidian CEO, Steph Ango, so if you want to answer them yourself, hop on over to her blog and copy them. They’re also available in 35 languages.
PART ONE
What did you do this year that you’d never done before?
Hmm, good question. The most obvious answer is: I went into hospital August 25 for an operation to remove a whole foot of lower colon due to cancer. I can’t say I’ve ever done that before. And, to be honest, it’s not something I want to repeat, ever!
Did you keep your new year’s resolutions?
Eh, in a word, no. Because I don’t actually make any. Not unless you count my non-new year resolutions? In which case, I probably kept them all.
Did anyone close to you give birth?
Simple answer, no.
Did anyone close to you die?
Not this year. At least, not that I know of.
What cities/states/countries did you visit?
We finally got to go back to Montreal this summer, other than that, nowhere. I did try to get us to France (Paris and Amiens) at different times but, alas, we never made it to either city, or country.
What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year?
What would I like to have that I lacked? Can I say a new body? What, no, that doesn’t count? That’s a shame. To be honest, I’m going to say conversation, as in talking to people, face to face, one to one. So, in other words, I lacked maybe some good company (friends) this year. But I can’t see this changing any time soon.
What date(s) from this year will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
We’re back to the operation. So I would have to say firstly, July 13th when the Gastro specialist doctor told me I had cancer. And then, August 25th, the day they removed a foot long length of colon with an attached alien sucker. Kind of hard to forget those two days.
What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Not to be flippant, but I’m going to say, staying alive and leave it at that.
What was your biggest failure?
Of the year? Hmm, another hard to answer question, given the kind of year I had. I would say I came out on top and take this year, as a whole, as a win.
What other hardships did you face?
Other than dealing with cancer? I kind of think everything else sort of fades into insignificance, don’t you?
Did you suffer illness or injury?
See above answers …
What was the best thing you bought?
An old fashioned 80s inspired mini boombox. Yes, they’re still making them, only updated to today’s style and needs. It has bluetooth and a USB port.
Whose behaviour merited celebration?
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say my surgeon, Dr. Drolet. The guy that kindly took three and a half hours to delicately extract a foot of my colon out through a small incision in my abdomen. Bravo!
Whose behaviour made you appalled?
Other than the obvious politicians? The media, AI tech bros, and the general bad behaviour of way too many people online. What ever happened to civility and manners?
Where did most of your money go?
Medical bills. Other than that, into a high interest savings account.
What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Waking up after my surgery.
What song will always remind you of this year?
You have got to be kidding me? Only one song? Of all the songs I’ve had on rotation, I’ll go with Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata by Depeche Mode.
Compared to this time last year, are you: happier or sadder? Richer or poorer? Healthier or unhealthier?
a. Happier b. Richer c. Healthier
What do you wish you’d done more of?
Firstly, travel. Secondly, get outside for more walks to take photos.
What do you wish you’d done less of?
Other than maybe moaning about stuff beyond my control, eating way too much junk food than is health.
I’ll share Part 2 tomorrow when I’ve finally finished answering the rest of the questions.
𖡼.𖤣𖥧𖡼.𖤣𖥧
