The last time the Year of the Dragon rolled ’round, I turned twenty-four amidst the hustle and bustle of the scene I found myself in at the time. I was between jobs, taking a stab at freelancing, and had just made a foray into the local animation biz (as a scriptwriter and story developer; I cannot, alas, draw for the proverbial toffee). It was, alas, not the easiest year for me. I won’t go into the details, anymore, as some memories remain painful, but suffice it to say that I found myself disillusioned with what I was doing at the time. And, for a few years, I felt that I was adrift and alone.
Fast-forward to 2012, yet another Dragon year. I turned 36 today – not a bad age to be, perhaps a bit long in the tooth now, probably (!) a little wiser than that green girl I was a dozen years ago. That girl baked the driest cinnamon buns, rock-hard foccacia, and had a tendency to burn and cut herself in the kitchen. While I still burn or cut myself occasionally in the process of cooking, I take pride in saying that at least my cooking is a whole lot better than it used to be. Plus, my repertoire of recipes has expanded considerably over the years.
Admittedly, I still suffer from bouts of depression – this, I think, will always be a given. I am only human, after all, and some wounds will – alas! – never heal completely and have left dreadful scars and horrible memories. But, I can cope. I’ll manage. I have people who love me and who believe in my talents. I have faith, even if I seem to be on the verge of giving up at times.
And, who knows? Things can only get better from here on out.
