New Lang Sine

Yesterday really was awful for me as it was for most people. Just the overwhelming feeling of melancholy was almost too much to take. Obviously, it was because of the anniversary we were marking but my "blue" mood struck me as vaguely familiar. Was it just 9/11 trauma and remembering Mark? Well, yes, that started it but the persistance of the feeling is what I call "Auld Lang Sine" syndrome. I get it bad.

Each year on New Year's Eve, I get very reflective of time that has past and friends that I no longer see. I get a feeling of emptiness and loneliness and sharp pangs of regret that I didn't appreciate the time that has been spent. I didn't acknowledge the difference that people have made to me over the years. Well, call it an early New Year's resolution or a lesson learned from 9/11, I am going to acknowledge the people in my life. I am going to start with you - the blog reading community.

Before I start, I have to say, if you had told me years ago that I can have a category of friends whom I have never met, I would have not believed it and I understand that if we all knew each other face to face, we may not be friends because when we post, we are taking a snapshot of thought or writing to a persona. For example, you would expect a girl who takes the blog name which means "Kiss My Ass" in gaelic and argues to that effect, to be pretty Type A, huh? Not so. You wouldn't recognize me even if we were stuck on a desert island with nothing to do but talk. I really wish I was more like Pog, actually! But this is about appreciating the people we know now, in whatever form, by whatever medium.

March wrote a little synopsis of the people that he links to on his blog. It was a great post, you can read it here. It sums up how he has gathered the group of people that he communicates with everyday. That is what I like about March. He is the champion of the unassuming, everyday details and he allows us to share in his life. What you see seems to be what you get and that is great.

I commented before on how I was struck by the honesty of Fresh Air, no matter what the subject. I really am amazed at how she can put it all out there. Its mad! and it is very brave. No wonder she has such a large readership. It is re-Fresh-ing. (Sorry, I couldn't help it - such low hanging fruit)

I was accused the other day of having a crush on Dim, and you know what? I totally do! He makes me laugh and I look forward to his comments just as much as I do his posts. Wit, thy name is Dim and the communication has been a little bright spot in my on line experience! (NB: I have never met Dim, so Xteen has nothing to be concerned over.)

I may have a blog-crush on Dim but I think that Hotwire and I may be made for each other. I don't know one thing that this man has written about that I don't find myself violently shaking my head in agreement with. Maybe it is the Connecticut connection, but I can see us in sympatico forever with Little Feat, Van the Man and Steely Dan playing in the background.

Some of you may think that Sage and I would not be friends. Unfortunately, I think that Sage shares in that assessment, he doesn't comment to me anymore - I think because I piss him off. That is too bad. I find him smart, challenging with good ideas and some bad ones to keep things interesting. Sage was a good foil for Pog, and I had hoped visa versa, but that is where it gets sticky, doesn't it? When Sage becomes Greg and Pog becomes me and the blades pierce the body armour?

Jenny G, B and Rosie are the girls that I wish I knew in non blog life so we can hang around a coffee shop and have wonderfully hip conversations like they do in sex and the city and friends. I am actually starved for some more female friends who don't have to rush home to a husband and child so I really, really enjoy reading their posts because I get that sense from them!

Simone is the friend that I hang around in coffee shops. She is the real thing! She is the best!

I need to read Rose and Manic for an insight on how not to live a single girl's life. They are candidates for the honesty awards and I enjoy going through their trials being women, wives and mothers. It is as if they are posting up a "how to" and "how to not" manual of living a hectic family life. I love it.

I had a friend whom I car-pooled with whom I miss terribly. I miss his opinions, the way he saw life, the way he thought life should be. We used to play a game in the car "If I was fascist dictator of the world then ..." and we would go on to discuss new driving laws, why interstate trucking is the downfall on quality control in the USA and how they should pay top dollar to the people who serve us our morning coffee because that moment pretty much clinches the rest of the day and you want a professional doing the job. I miss Tom but I miss him less because I read Annoyed. Keep it up brother!

I hope I haven't left anyone out. If so forgive me. This has made me feel better. I don't want to feel that awful regret if I didn't pause to give you all the appreciation that you deserve.

I have a lot of people to get in touch with before New Year's. I wish they all read blogs. I am determined not to be melancholy this year. No wonder people get hammered on New Year's!