You Go Girl

2008 was my watershed year. I will always remember it as one of the best years of my life. I graduated from law school, got a new car, got a job in a terrible economy, took and passed the bar exam, I’ve been blessed with a new niece, and most importantly, the man of my dreams asked me to marry him. Yes, he understands that “marriage” means spending the rest of your life with another person. And yes, he still wants to be married to me. 2008 was a year of introspection, retrospection, prospection and respect…ion (not exactly a word, but nothing else would would carry out my alliteration).

Over the past year, I have had an opportunity to look inward. To decide what I like about myself, and what I do not like about myself. I am beginning to know myself again–who I am as a professional, and who I strive to be as an individual.

I have had time to reflect on the past, and to come to terms with mistakes made. I have cast off the memories that weigh me down, and I now reel in those that make me happy. I still value the lessons learned, but have forgiven myself for the decisions leading up to the lessons.

In a profession where you are valued by how many hours you can bill in one day, I have also learned to value my own time. For most of my life, I have been content to sit on the porch and watch the cars go by. Sleeping on the couch was a perfectly acceptable way to spend an entire day. Now that my personal time is limited to weekends and evenings, sleep is something of a commodity. I store it on the shelf, and use it only when my battery is low. I try to spend as much time experiencing life–living. It’s an interesting new experiment, but I like it so far.

Another high note for the year is the collective progress of women everywhere, especially here in the U.S. of A. Hillary Clinton ran for President of the United States, and is now our Secretary of State. Almost every hit song last year was sung by a woman (Beyonce, Amy Winehouse, Madonna, Rihanna, Katy Perry, The Ting Tings, Santogold….). Many rappers–I’m thinking of T.I., but I’m sure there are others–have shifted from verbally assaulting women to celebrating women. The Sex and the City gals kicked ass at the box office. Two female poets read at the Inauguration. Popular culture is shining with smiles of beautiful, confident, and accomplished women. It couldn’t be a better time (thus far) to be a woman.