goodbye hello all in one

my favorite part of the QCP has been reading what others have had to say. each and every time i logged on here and saw a new post or new comment, my heart would leap up in excitement and anticipation. it’s true. i truly love reading other people’s words, hence ideas. because i feel like it helps facilitate my own thinking, in ways and viewpoints i might not have considered before or otherwise. i love to learn. i love discussion. i love thinking. and i love writing.

it’s special.

the QCP became a place not only to share our adventures in quarter century crisis land, but it also became a gathering place to talk about events outside our personal life as well.

so i’m taking that idea and running with it, via:

invitetowrite.wordpress.com

see you there!

Farewell, QCP!

As the QCP wraps up, I’ve been reflecting on the past year, and remembering some of my favorite QCP memories. I very much enjoyed the numerous responses to my name change post, but my favorite times were live blogging the debates. It was great to get instant responses from other QCP-ers, it was awesome to vent about political ridiculousness, Cindy’s “Oh SNAP!” graphics were hilariously amazing, and the whole thing was a laugh riot.

Cindy wrote that the QCP was born out of frustration and confusion. Which I think is reflected in some of our posts. But for me, personally, the benefit of the QCP was the ability to communicate with other people going through many of the same issues. We tried to figure out the financial crisis together, we talked about our plans and dreams for the future, and we did it all in a supportive, fun atmosphere.

So, thank you to all the contributors, posters, and readers. And a big thank you to Cindy, because without her it never would have been possible. Huzzah!

Next steps

I can’t believe it has been an entire year since the birth of QCP.  It has been great sharing with and learning from others.  When anything comes to an end it seems natural to reflect as well as look forward.  This blog has made me realize that I’m not alone in my struggles and that I am also blessed with the triumphs I’ve made and those that have helped me (family, friends).  So what will help me in looking forward is knowing that we all struggle, but there can be some benefit in that – lessons learned, etc.  I know I’m on the forefront of new adventures and while I will not be able to share them in this venue, I do feel more comfortable talking to my family and my friends as I know that I am not perfect, but what I realize now is that they don’t expect me to be perfect either.  I will probably go through growing pains for the rest of my life, but I feel fortunate to have been a part of the QCP and to have shared a part of my highs, lows, and in-betweens with the world.  Thank you Cindy for the opportunity and thank you fellow contributors (posters and commenters) for your words of wisdom.  I had fun!

up up and away

dear readers,

happy new year!

i have a little BIG announcement to make.

this will be one of the last posts to go up on the QCP. the first one was welcomed to the world on january 16, 2008. i thought it appropriate that the last one(s) will occur exactly one year later.

what happens in a year? a lot can, apparently. i’m sure you didn’t need me to tell you that. as i look back on this year and read all the posts that my fellow contributors and i have put up for public consumption, i cannot help but feel a swell of pride. i am proud of all my writers for their frank, well-written, interesting posts and i am proud of all the QCP readers for not just reading these posts, but also commenting on them in equally inspiring ways. we are lucky to have readers like you. i am lucky to have writers like you.

this project was born out of frustration, out of disillusionment, out of confusion. not necessarily negative things. because of being lost, we were able to embark upon a blogging adventure that has set our inquisitive natures burrowing deep within ourselves. and though we may not have found any concrete answers or solved any great mysteries, i do believe we have taken great strides towards reaching somewhere. wherever that somewhere is for you. sometimes vagueness can still bring reassuring answers.

this project was also born out of a lot of hope and deep rooted belief. the hope for better and the deep rooted belief that through dialogue, words, conversation, we can and are able to help one another. no one is alone in life. i think this blogging project was a celebration of what it means to be who we are at this particular time, in this particular phase, in reaching out to others around us, and the support we can all get as a collective.

it isn’t that this blog is no longer relevant. it isn’t that i am no longer interested in all things related to the QCC. it is more a reckoning that it is simply time to move on.  this place shall be and always will remain. and i wont stop thinking about it for a long, long time, if ever. you are welcome to come here anytime to read, to comment still. the blog will live on, but i suppose its role now if more one of reflection rather than action.

i cannot imagine better company than yours as this journey unfolded. thank you. this definitely won’t be the last you see of me. there are many other blogging projects in the works, which i am excited to share with you. so please stay tuned!

meanwhile, continue to find your own path, delineated by your own self. i am confident you can do it. and whenever it gets tough, remember the people in your life, remember the QCP. we are a formidable team, ridden with questions and most likely in possession of the answers to those questions all along.

with love,

cindy

A New Year

Here we are: 2009.  While I don’t think the new year should be the only time we resolve to live our lives a little better, there is for me a sense of starting over, or starting something new on the first day of the year.  I’m not heading into any big changes myself – no defined grad school or travel plans, no change in employment… my life is pretty linear at the moment.  So for me, a new year’s resolution is not a resolution to bring about any drastic change.  Instead, I resolve to be a little more gracious, a little more thankful every day for all the good in my life.  I resolve to be more content and less anxious about “the next big thing,” but also to seek out opportunities for learning and enriching my life with more education, art, community.  The cold, snowy end of 2008 in Seattle had me thinking a lot about the homeless, and several shootings involving teenagers down the street from my apartment has had me thinking about the health of my neighborhood – I resolve to try and not see people as abstract “issues,” but to be more involved in looking for concrete ways to make my neighborhood and city a better, safer place to live.  Those are just some of my thoughts on this blustery January 1.  What are your resolutions for the new year?