The Last Post of 2010

Probably. I could spontaneously have another thought and post again, but in theory, this is my last post of 2010. It has been a good year, I'll say that. I wrote and read plenty (although I probably could have read more), and met lots of cool people. Many awesome movies came out, so I suppose I'll list my favorite ten in no particular order:

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1
• Toy Story 3
• Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice
• The Social Network
• Alice in Wonderland
• How to Train Your Dragon
• Clash of the Titans
• Iron Man 2
• Despicable Me
• Inception

Yeah, so that was eleven. Whatever. In other words, we had some good ones this time. I just realized that I missed Dinner for Schmucks, Tron: Legacy, Megamind, and Shrek Forever After, but I can't push it too much...can I? I also have yet to see some of them, such as True Grit and Gulliver's Travels. Either way, I enjoyed 2010 very much. I got a saltwater aquarium in the spring, which is still amazing (though we seem to have an invasive anemone on one of the rocks); we got my sister a dog (sister Laura, dog Launa - Laura's REALLY clever); I met Cory Doctorow, who was a really cool bloke; we went to Disney World in late September and stayed into early October; and I this year took up the name of L.M. Winter.

Overall, this was probably one of my favorite years. I probably ought to write a poem on the year, but this will be off the top of my head:

From eyelash wishes

To marine crabs and fishes,

From Health-class antics

To a scene from The Frantics,

From writing group

To picking up dog poop,

From reading Stephen King

To some other thing,

And I suppose while this lasts,

I'll mention Doctor Who podcasts,

The year is nearly gone,

So now my music's on

As I write these words

And time flies like birds

To the worlds beyond ours

And soon there will be flowers

Sprouting from the soil

And then the sun will boil

Even icy water.

And then Harry Potter

Will conclude its epic story -

Viewing will be mandatory -

Somewhere in July.

Time still will fly:

Death and birth will both occur,

Of that we can be sure.

Then Old Man Winter and his Young assistant

Will come ready and persistent

To sweep away daisies

Pushed up by old crazies

And the year along as well - 

We see that there is no hell

Or heaven in the end;

There is only death, and life to spend.

But this year has been great

And is now getting late.

We had great snows early

And again at the end: surely

There will be more?

I hope to open the door

Next year to a field of white

Which glimmers quite bright

In the sun, bouncing off crystals

As I put away pistols

To bring out a seasonable

Weapon, one more reasonable:

A ball of white snow

To hit my rivals before they know.

No matter what year,

There, then, now, here,

No matter what splinter

Of summer or winter

Or spring or autumn,

Top class or bottom,

We are alive

And should always strive

To make the very most

Of the moment, whether writing ghost

Tales or tales otherwise tall,

Or if you're not writing at all,

You must pay heed to time, and yet

You must not by any means get

Sucked into its void,

Whether it's ever toyed

With your concepts of progression

Or makes you think of regression.

Time is complex, but do not worry:

Just live your life, for there is no hurry.

Man, that went on for a while! Like I said, it was written just now, so it probably needs some work. But what I was trying to convey was that time may fly, but while the future needs planning to a certain extent, I choose to focus primarily on the present moment.

All in all, the year ends soon, but what is it but numbered dates? Life moves on at any rate. I plan to do many things still, such as complete my novel, improve my piano skills (I think a teacher at my elementary school might still be teaching), learn guitar and maybe join marching band with some other third instrument, take Drivers' Ed, learn about filmmaking, et cetera. I have plenty of things I plan to do, but now is now, and I'm blogging. But not for long: I think I'll check my email and then read my first Jane Yolen story. Oh, and speaking of firsts: I watched a small part of a Doctor Who today, called "Midnight." I think it was a newer one, and that just might have been this David Tennant everyone speaks of.

What a long post (mainly due to the "poem")!

Happy New Year!

Lewis M. Winter