You always wanted me to write one

I’m now in the home stretch of my Christmas Countdown, writing articles inspired by each of my favourite songs in 2024. I told myself that no matter what, I’d find a way to work in my three favourite songs of this year. So even though this one hits hard as a breakup song and I have no intention of spinning it to mean something else, I couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to write one more about what truly matters.

You see, as I wrote over 100 articles and about 20 short pieces of fiction this year, admittedly, one person consumed far too much air time. This person always wanted me to write about them, and urged me to on quite a few occasions. When I wrote fiction based on the very real events, describing things exactly as they happened, they didn’t love how they were portrayed. I didn’t love it either, but more so because it was the actuality of who they were and who they are.

Following the ‘fiction’ that went ‘unpublished’, I continued to allow this person to follow my work. This meant that every single piece, admittedly, continued to be an open ‘screw you letter’. Petty old me felt the need to persistently give this person the attention they always wanted, and continue to reference them in just about every article since.

I don’t mean to bask in the glory, but my favourite is this one:
Relationships aren’t meant to be toxic.

Now, we finally come to this piece, with this title, that I had considered using as an eye-catcher since events unfolded in May.

You can imagine how I felt when Karley Scott Collins and her insane voice spoke into existence exactly what I felt at the time. The notion of this: You always wanted me to write one, so here’s one about how horrible you are.

Truthfully, I’ve never resonated with a song more at the time of its release.

But instead of the angry letter, I tried to be more subtle in three to four other well deserved pieces at the time.

It’s now December, and I’ve no longer allowed this person to follow my work as easily as before, making it all the easier to actually write for me and not as a way of getting back at anyone else. I’m happy to finally put that book back on the shelf in my latest piece – The past doesn’t matter, you do.

This is one for those that truly matter. Instead of the person that always wanted the attention within my work, I instead wish to write about and thank everyone who made this year what it was – for the better.

INSPIRED BY WRITE ONE

Thank you to M.B. for always being thoughtful and intentional with your words and actions beyond your years, like no other. Your two gifts this year meant more than anything I’ve ever been given my entire life, including making a truly terrible day better when I needed it most. You truly don’t know the magnitude of your ability to spread positivity into the lives of others. There are so many moments that I will cherish this year, and you were involved in so many of them.

Thank you to T.B. for the kindness you and your entire family always showed me this year, and your continued support and opportunity for fun through tough times. Thank you to P.B., I.B., J.B. and again M.B. for your role in that too, including always making me laugh.

Thank you to SPARK for teaching me so much in our time together, for always rising to the challenge in everything I created for the program, and for always making every day better. Spending time with you, and the many games of dodgeball and Mafia this summer helped me have the desire to stay as long as I did.

Thank you to K.B. for a three year span of friendship at work and always being one of my number one fans. Thank you for all the work you put into making the damn thing great and still putting your best foot forward when so many failed to recognize your contributions. You truly are a positive light in every life you touch.

Thank you to XACT for supporting my running career throughout 2024, and providing a home for me in uncertain times as I changed paths in my actual career. When I lost a big part of my community, you made me feel right at home, and a part of something greater.

Thank you to R.M. for helping to make my two week stint in La Malbaie my favourite time of the year, especially with your kindness, your infectious personality, and your attempts to teach me French.

Thank you to my students for making my final semester teaching at Western such a blast. I will always remember that final group of you, completely living up to how awesome every single other semester ended up being for me.

Thank you to A.L., J.K., G.R., K.T., S.S., D.G., & R.H. for all reaffirming the same advice and trying your best to snap me out of my early year mistakes, while continuing to listen and provide support when it all came crashing down. The friendships I have with you mean so much to me, and I can’t thank you enough for sticking by me in light of my foolery.

Thank you to A.S. and A.R. for listening on a random board game night when no one else would. Thank you again to A.R. for continuing to listen through it all when at my worst. Thank you to B.G. for always challenging me and being an eager ear many times. & to A.S., I miss you and hope we reconcile some day.

Thank you to the self-proclaimed Minidestruco for being anything but a destructive presence. In fact, a positive presence through some of the toughest times this year. I’ll always look back fondly on all the laughs we shared on runs this year.

Thank you to my core family for continuing to trust my decisions through all the change. Thank you for helping in my move across the country, and often spending your time and money so that I didn’t have to.

Thank you to my new work friends for making this adjustment all the easier, and being patient with all that we’re building together. Thank you to J.S. for making it all the more comfortable for me in the move, and making ten years apart feel like no time at all.

Finally, thank you to A for changing this year around from the worst of my life to the most memorable and meaningful. You’ve been involved in the best months of the year and continue to amaze me every single day. Talking to you everyday is what often kept me sane in a never-ending time of turbulence, turning each day more positive. I can’t wait to create more memories with you in 2025.

These are the people that are truly worth writing about in 2024. The people that would never dare to ask for it and would probably rather I didn’t say anything at all. These are the people worth focusing my attention on in 2025, and worth gaining continued inspiration from as life progresses.

More from my Christmas Countdown…