My year was filled and monopolized by the fact I learned about myself last January. I learned I had diabetes and all the months following faded into one big blur.
I had felt bad for sometime and had no answers for why. Until that fateful day in the second week of January 2001 I ate a Dunkin Donuts apple fritter, with double sugar and cream coffee to wash it down with.
Within 20 minutes I just knew I was going to die. The feeling was hard to explain. A fuzzy brained, incoherent daze. A feeling I was slipping somewhere but afraid to let go. No pain really just a feeling. Needless to say, the next day after I had recovered , I went to my Doctor and after drinking what tasted like Orange Nehi flavored syrup water, I was sent home to once again feel like I was going to die.
At 7pm that night my doctor called and sent me immediately to the pharmacy for medication. Diabetic medication.
From that moment on my life revolved around what went into my mouth. So January was a good month..I think.
Here it is January again and Im 45 lbs lighter. I think its going to be a good month again.
Tudy {iflans@adelphia.net} 1 Jan 2002
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| 2001 was big for me, it's true.
I turned 18.
I graduated from high school.
And I moved 40 minutes away from my home of 9 years to begin my freshman year of college.
I was thrilled to be out of my house, on my own, making my own rules, being responsible for myself.
4 days later, classes started.
And I wanted to quit school from that first day until the very last day of the semester.
I have little resilience. I admit that.
But I'm not sure what else to do, so I use school to stall until I figure out what brilliant things am I going to accomplish that will also provide for my well-being.
At least it keeps me in a city that I love, away from "home".
And when classes start to break me and bring me down, I can take a walk downtown, and remember why I applied here in the first place.
Atmosphere.
Jenna 1 Jan 2002
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2001 was the year of surrender. Surrender to the realization that the point of
no return had been past years ago. The future is now. This is it. There is
no more "becoming." What I am is what I became. My three sons, now in their 40's, are scathingly critical of their rearing. They wanted a different kind of mother: a party giving dowager, a middle-class housewife, a movie star. This reflects their present pursuits: one a University of California
functionary, another a ship captain constantly traveling, the last a Hollywood extra.
Meanwhile, my own mother looks on laughing. She, the political gadfly of the 30's and 40's. Me the civil rights activist of the 60's and 70's.
And my children? The reactionaries of the 80's and 90's. My mother laughs,
and it IS funny.
Charlotte Avant {cloudzeye@cloudzeye.com} 1 Jan 2002
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| For me, my life started in July of 2001. I had been lookinf forward to July for months; ever since September of 2000. Why was I so eager for July to come? Because on July 17th, I would leave for Italy.
I was extremely fortunate to take that trip; an experience many 14 year olds never get the chance to do. The trip had no real purpose, just to have fun. It was a trip through my school which my Creative Writing teacher threw together.
Italy was like this distant dream of gold, for me. I am half Italian, and this opportunity was a trip home.The most exciting part of the whole thing was being on my own. No parents or relatives to tell me they didn't like my personality or my friends. It was me, ten close friends, and two great teachers, and about fifty other kids I didnt know.
I had high expectations for the trip, and I wasn't left unsatisfied. Ten days in Italy; you wouldnt think it was enough. Maybe it wasn't. But I still had the time of my life.
We started in Venice. It was beautiful. There was a lot of rain, but the downpours were beautiful; the flooding rain pounded across Saint Marks Square like a vivious gale, and I swam in puddles of water, my pink dress soaked. I could care less. My good friend Jim sat with a smile under the umbrella while he watched me dance and splash in the rain in the middle of the empty square. Gandala rides, hours of walking the tiny ancient streets, walking the damp shiny streets late at night with my friends... free. Venice was amazing.
We soon went to Florence, stopping at other little cities on the way. I continued to spend most of my time with Jim. Florence was another brilliant city. Venice was quieter, but Florence thrived with life. We walked the city streets all day, blowing hundreds of dollars, chasing and feeding pigeons, taking our time viewing lovely catherdrals and frescos. We were all young; 13 to 15, and we were gaining a higher appreciation for everything.
Sorrento, Capri, the beach and sun called us, and we bathed in the sun and waded in the water all day, in bliss.
Rome was rather boring; its fame did not make up for it. Maybe its because they had us wrapped up in monuments instead of the city life; we all craved the city life.
The ruins of Pompei were glorious; the heat was aweful, though. Tivoli was my favorite; I adored the peace. After days and days of city experiences, our last day was spent in Tivoli, walking through Adrians' Garden, and other famous villa's with eneromous fountains and gradens. We ate in a restraunt which was an old underground tavern, carved from the earth (rock). The air was magical there, and no one frowned. That night wasthe best, we left Tivoli and returned to Rome, and finally got into the city life there, trying heavily to forget that at 4 the next morning we would be waking to leave. We didn't even get back to the hotel until one in the morning, and no one bothered sleeping. We all stayed up and watched the city buzz by our windows as we sighed and remembered over and over, so we would never forget.
Alessandra {Divine_Arson@msn.com} 1 Jan 2002
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january has always been special...good things and bad happen in january. one january i discovered love, the next i understood how fragile life could be. this january i finally came back home...
karuna {karunak@planetasia.com} 2 Jan 2002
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| My year was color black, black as in death, pain, suffering, etc, etc, etc. I went through the rupture of a long-term, long-distance relationship with the guy I thought I would married. Thought wrong, a week after my 20th birthday he decided he couldn't cope with the fact of not being with me, of not being with some(body), of waiting without really knowing what was going to happen. It's worthless to say what this aported to my life... I opted for the single life, I really didn't have any other choice. Later came the death of my dad's aunt, with that the fact that we had to leave the big house where we lived because it was sold. Without enough time to look for a spacious place, we had to decide we were going to live (the 4 of us), in an apartment of 1 bedroom. That was a bad idea!, but we had no other choice. We wanted to buy a house, to reach for the american dream. Well, it's been hard to achieve it, but we are hanging in there, specially my dad. We did find the house, and we decided to buy it. It is a new, small, comfortable townhouse that perfectly fits our "american dream". The inspection came through, we were ready to begin the closing. That's when both my mom and dad lost their jobs. Everything had to be done again, and of course, wait for my parents to find a new job, otherwise they weren't allowed to buy the property. We expected to be there by Christmas, and Christmas went by, New Years went by! and we are still in the small apartment. I have lost so much of that faith I've always had, although I know it's going to happen someday. The September 11th tragedy, the hurricanes that destroyed so many lives and towns in South America, so many catastrophes. I was hoping so much for the 2001 to end. I ate 12 grapes on New Year's eve, and made 12 wishes. Most of them were for peace and love in the world, for our country to have that sense of security as before. I wished for love, for personal fulfillment, I really want to feel what I felt once with the man I loved so much. Let's see the surprises that this year unfolds. Good luck everyone!
Grettel 3 Jan 2002
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2001 was a year that wriggles out from under every quaint label I try to fasten to it. Except for fast. 2001 was fast.
It was better than 2000 -- for me -- and I hope that 2002 is better still. A little slower would be nice, though.
E {amorevincetomnea@aol.com} 4 Jan 2002
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| Come-Back to west
a long and unfinishing sunset,
behind me a half-dark landscape,
in front of me a half-bright landscape.
In-between during the journey,
funny and beautiful.
I'm here, finally! After years,
after unsecure steps,
after giving my files,
I put my secure foot on the ground.
I'm a newcomer, I have a permanent residency,
8 years later, I'm coming back.
8 years later, I'm breathing back.
Cold and winter, snow and hope,
All has to be redefined,
all has to be created.
I lost her or it, I don't remember 8 years ago.
I'm coming back for the city
I fell in love a while ago.
It's the 5th of December 2001
Montréal, Canada, I'm back.
We will make love tonight,
my dearest city.
Karl {karl@la-grange.net} 7 Jan 2002
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