Kickin' '07 Out the Door

“Someday we’ll look back on this and it will all seem funny. But now you’re said, your Momma’s mad, and your Pappa says he know that I don’t have any money…” Bruce Springsteen, from the song “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” circa 1972

I don’t know exactly why, but when I began writing my ’07 wrap up article, that song (and particularly that verse) popped into my head. This may quite possibly be a sign that my mind is beginning to deteriorate, in which case I can look forward to more random moldy oldies playing on my inner iPod Shuffle. Or, it could be that it puts a nice punctuation point on the year that was.

If your livelihood (or investment portfolio) is even indirectly connected to residential real estate, I’m guessing that 2007 was not a banner year. I’m also going to guess that you’re glad to see it in the rearview mirror. And I can understand that. There’s an old saying that goes “Sometimes, in life, you feel like a Jackass in a wind storm. You just have to stand there and take it!” If the Springsteenian wisdom doesn’t do it for you, try that one on for size. But being the sickly sweet, optimistic, Pollyanna that I am, I’m going to miss the year soon to be known as “last”. Because in a lot of ways (at least for me) it was a really great one!

I came into ’07 with a healthy family, and I’m leaving it the same way. After that, everything else is small potatoes. While I’m no skinnier than I was a year ago, I’m no fatter! Less hair, yes, more wrinkly, sure, but no fatter! My wife still puts up with my bad jokes, and occasionally even laughs- I’m really not sure if she’s laughing at my jokes or my progressively balding wrinkling face- but hey, a laugh is a laugh!

None of my hometown sports teams did very well this year (I’m a diehard, loser, Philly fan) but I had the honor of coaching a great bunch of kids in flag football. And, I can still drag my middle aged butt up and down a basketball court two or three times a week. It ain’t pretty, but I can still do it.

The slow real estate market meant I was able to spend more time with my kids-always a good thing! I learned that a six year old boy never tires out, unless it’s time to do chores. I also learned that the definitions for “preteen girl” and “drama” are interchangeable.

My writing improved last year as well. Maybe not my creative ability, but certainly my grammar and sentence structure…well at least my grammar. I even had a reader patiently take the time to teach me how to properly conjugate the word “unequivocal”, while at a Christmas party last week (Thanks Sara!) Of course, I did have to go home and look up the word “conjugate”. Actually, Sara was quite complimentary of my work, and she’s just one of many who have come up to me and said nice things. That’s really made it a great year!

I love this community! And as In & Out extends its circulation all the way down to Happy Valley, I’ve gotten a chance to meet more and more really nice people. In a relatively short time, this year will be a distant memory, and I know that most of it will make me smile when I think back on it. But that’s just me, the sickly sweet, optimistic, Pollyanna with the thinning hair and wrinkles.