2003: The Year in Review

Well, it’s the end of 2003. Time to take stock.

Every year has its own narrative arc, its own flavor, but you have to wait until the year ends before you can see what it is. I was ready to write off 2003 by the middle of August. The -ember months, September through December, didn’t hold the prospect of anything new. In the last few months, though, the year has redeemed itself.

Act that most set the tone for the year: My resumption of blogging, in mid-February.

Year’s longest-running saga: The tale of me and D, which ran from April through August.

Date that will most live in infamy: Friday, August 15, 2003, the date the shit hit the fan with me and D.

Worst experience of the year: Getting prostatitis — or even worse, the two subsequent months of psychosomatic symptoms, which I convinced myself would never ever go away. (They did.)

Coolest experience of the year: Seeing my letter on gay rights printed in the New York Times, and then hearing from Ralph Nader because of it.

Most inevitable experience of the year: Turning 30.

Person I am most glad I met: Matt.

Person I am most sorry I met: There’s nobody I regret meeting this year.

Person I miss most: My friend Kevin, who moved to Atlanta.

Hobby I picked up: Collecting and listening to cast albums.

Hobby I resumed: Regularly attending the theater.

Most enjoyable activity I began: Singing with the Gay Gotham Chorus.

Most draining activity I began (and ended): Volunteering for the GMHC Hotline.

Most potentially beneficial activity I’ve begun: Taking antidepressants. (No longer Wellbutrin, by the way — I’m on Celexa now.)

Activity that I most thought would help me but didn’t: Joining a Success Team.

Best road trip: Visiting UVa in April for the 10th anniversary of my a cappella group.

Favorite movie: The Return of the King. Other contenders: Spellbound, The Triplets of Belleville, Lost in Translation, The Station Agent.

Most disappointing movies: Phone Booth; Anything Else.

Favorite musical: Avenue Q.

Favorite book I read: Not Since Carrie by Ken Mandelbaum; also Courting Justice by Deb Price and Joyce Murdoch.

TV show I began watching: Angel.

Most disappointing TV show: Buffy.

Most improved TV show: Smallville.

Best thing on TV: Angels in America.

Biggest crush on a famous person: Tom Lenk.

Event in the national news that made me happiest: Lawrence v. Texas.

Event in the national news that most pissed me off: Too numerous to pick just one, but you can probably find most of them here.

Event in the local news that made me happiest: The reopening of the PATH at the World Trade Center. Also, the smoking ban.

Event in the local news that most pissed me off: Tom DeLay’s plan to have the delegates to the Republican National Convention stay on a cruise ship.

Best material acquisition(s): Sony 27″ Wega and my very first DVD player; Dell Dimension 4550 desktop computer (my first new computer in five years).

Most underused material acquisition(s): My webcam.

Proudest accomplishment: Other than the New York Times letter, revising my screenplay and entering it in a contest (even though it didn’t win).

Thing I most wish I’d accomplished: Become a published (in-print) writer (and not just in a letter). This now becomes a goal for 2004. Also, stopping time.

Hey, 2004: I promise I’ll be good to you if you’ll be good to me.

Goodbye, 2003. It’s been real.