Reflections on 2016 (Without the election as much as humanly possible)

Andrew's Post

“Oh where has the time gone?” “Time flies when you’re having fun!” “Time! What is it good for? Absolutely nothing!” “Eat my shorts.” All of these cliches are coming to mind as I look at my calendar and realize we’re only a few weeks away from burying the tire fire that has been much of 2016. Though I could spend all of my time in this post ranting and raving about the Presidential Election, a perceived progression of division amongst races/classes/political parties, the continuation of violence in our culture and society, or a motley crew of other disheartening subjects, I have to admit 2016 has been pretty great for me personally so I’m going to spend some time talking about my own personal year in review.

The year of our lord, two-thousand and sixteen started off in a bit of a whirlwind considering that my now fiance and I had just discovered we were pregnant with our now four-month-old baby girl. Though, at this time, we had yet to discover her gender and were totally lost as to what our plan was for the future. Courtney spent some time in South Carolina with relatives for a period right after the new year before ultimately returning for what would be her last couple of weeks there. While she went to clear her head, I spent my time calling and texting friends and family back in Denver, trying to move from denial to whatever stage I was supposed to be in afterwards, even though her departure was temporary.

Looking back to my time in Denver now seems strange, considering it seems like much longer than eight months ago that I left. I have experienced so many life-altering experiences and have done a good bit of growing personally in that time, so it feels as though I left a lifetime ago. Everything for my fiance and I ended up working out thanks to family and friends that supported us; we ended up finding jobs in the Greenville, SC area and welcomed a beautiful baby girl into the world on August 14, 2016!

My biggest challenge now is remembering that it’s okay to make mistakes and to learn from them while trying to figure out this whole Dad and future husband thing. Though I’d say I’ve basically jumped in all of it head first; I’ve now got an official Dad-mobile (Hyundai Tucson) and am working on getting my first home (two things I didn’t imagine doing until my 30’s, quite honestly). There are lots of exciting things to come in my life, as well in the year 2017, and I’m looking forward to each and every one of them.

Lukas Post

Man, it seems like the older I get, the shittier the years go as a whole. But I'm learning this year to take what I can from all that and remember that some of the times weren't so shitty. I raised one precocious kitten to near-adulthood and got another one, both of whom bring me much frustration and greater joy. I finished up my first year of grad school, left the program, and started a job doing something I hoped I’d never have to do - customer service. The job’s taught me some stuff though, and I hope that stuff sticks with me. What it feels like when the company you work for makes a crap ton of effort to show they appreciate their employees, for example. I started going to a lot more shows again; I saw my favorite band - Norma Jean - twice, with a lot of other great bands mixed in. I started appreciating hip hop and rap way more, and spent some of the best times of my year with my favorite rappers up in Boone and Asheville. I learned how to stand up for myself. I met some amazing people from all over the world and got to reconnect with a kid I love like she’s my sister. I made friends in Charlotte and finally found a bro beans to hang out with regularly, and it's actually a pretty quality friendship that I’m quite grateful for. Found out I’ve been sleeping on some great media - Kendrick Lamar, The Underachievers, Blue Mountain State, The League, and Game of Thrones. Remembered how nice it is to read a good book and started reading for pleasure again, however sporadically. My pops retired, and my best friend had a kid and asked me to be his best man at his wedding next year. Lots of good shit mixed in with the bad. Here's hoping for more great shit in 2017 and the continued ability to recognize and revel in it.