At the urging of the Cody Prater, I have decided to write a blog about the soon to be over 2010. I'm not one for recapping a year. I never really think of the year ending in December because I am faced with 4 more months of school still at this point. My year ends in May, but for the sake of the rest of you non-educators, I'll give in to the whole January 1st thing.
Every year around this time, I find myself a little down about life. Generally, I am faced with New Year's resolution making that I don't really do, but am still forced to consider all of the things I should change or fix or start doing in the first place. I am also a little bummed around New Year's because I think it's somewhat sad to know that another year of my life has come and gone. I realize lots of really cool stuff has happened, but I am also forced to accept that my past keeps getting larger. I hate being reminded that life is leaving us...me. It's a downer I know. I'm supposed to be thankful for all that lies ahead of me. I should be appreciative that I have my health and numerous blessings to count. I am supposed to raise my glass to the positive milestones in each year and in preparation for the year ahead. And I do all of those things..I just do them with the nostalgic subdued nature I find myself in when another year has gone by.
However much I hate to see a year pass, I cannot help but be a little relieved to wave goodbye to 2010. In this year I have hopped numerous hurdles that literally exhaust me to think back on now. For instance, Cody and I bought a home in 2010. I love where we live now. I enjoy decorating it and buying new stuff to make it better. We have improved our home and really made it our own. But I can't tell you I would want to do it all over again. It's been a journey certainly.
Cody and I also got our two fur babies in this year. There were some rough dog moments in this year. We are out a pair of glasses, a coffee table, numerous pairs of socks and underwear, a watch, and various other items we probably haven't found yet. But as we are soon to celebrate Staley and Finny's 1st birthday, I can't help but be filled with love for our little nuggets. They certainly have made themselves an irreplaceable part of the Prater pack.
On a personal note, this year was filled with some interesting happenings. Professionally, I had a successful volleyball season. Coaching volleyball is probably something that means more to me than I verbalize or write about very often. From June to the end of October I find myself immersed in something that is so familiar and fun for me to do. I felt like I was a better coach this year than I was last year, and I hope this pattern continues into 2011. Hopefully, a few kids in Lavaca are better in some way after experiencing the wrath of Coach Schrodt/Prater for a few months each year.
And finally, the one thing that I am so glad that I will leave behind in 2010 is our wedding. It was great. I'm so glad we did it. I love the pictures. I love Cody. We have been married for all of 6 months now and I am as happy as the day we made it official. I am really happy to be married. I am also really happy to never have to plan and execute my own wedding ever again. Ever.
Each year around October I have my students in class create a narrative writing project that focuses on their own lives. One of the assignments within the project is to create a bucket list or life list. This year I found myself in front of a group of 14 year olds reading the same bucket list I created three years ago when I started teaching. As I went through the things I once dreamed of accomplishing, I found that numerous of them were completed. I own my own car, a home, I am married, I have a couple of dogs, I am financially independent. I have completed a lot of the things that only a few years ago I was hoping to accomplish one day. I realize that 2010 is probably the year of milestones for me.
I stored my bucket list in a folder on my desk when we were through with the project in October. The other day when I was cleaning my classroom, I came across that folder and realized that I need a new bucket list. As I marked off achievements of this year, I realized that all of the college kid Katy Schrodt aspirations are for the most part shed. In this year, I feel as if I have transformed from the kid that I was for the first couple years out of college into an adult. With a life. And a husband. And a home. And bills. The one thing that I think is weird about leaving behind the goals of yesterday is finding my way to new goals. I no longer need to achieve the really big things I once dreamed of doing. After all of the accomplishments were checked off my bucket list, I found myself sitting in my classroom staring at only a few items left. I still need to go back to Europe. I need to win a state championship as a coach. And I need to have children. My own children. That Cody and myself would create. That I would carry for 9 months. That I would squeeze out of my birth canal. That I would support with our money. That would live in our house. Whose car seat would be in my car. Whose life would intermingle with the rest of the Prater pack. And who would forever alter all of the newly accomplished milestones of 2010...I realized that day in my classroom that producing offspring is the main big thing left. And I also realize that kids are bigger than owning a home or getting married. Much bigger...At least there's always 2012, right?
Nonetheless, here's to a year of goodness. A year with family and friends. A year of accomplishments. Here's to my 7th New Year's Eve with Cody. Here's to the year ahead. And the year behind us. 2010 has been good. It's one for the record books.
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