I am so smart! S-M-R-T!

Think Kit Day 4 posed the following question:

What was the wisest decision you made this year? Who did it impact? Describe your decision-making process, discuss the results, or just share a little learned wisdom.

I'm actually not going to write about my very wisest decision because words like arson, litigation, and court-ordered therapy go through my mind when I think about it. (Mystery! Intrigue! Enigma! Gregorian chants! Wait.) I decided instead to use one of the Think Kit lifelines and make a top 10 list, BUT I'm still kind of doing today's assignment because it's a list of wise decisions. (Sneaky!)

10. Updated my technology

Way back in pioneer days 2009, Santa gifted me an iPhone 3S, which was a wonderful addition to my life. I had no idea how much I would enjoy having a tiny computer with me everywhere I went, but oh my did I. I had that same phone until this past July, by which point it had basically become an iPaperweight. It wouldn't hold a charge unless it was plugged in (convenient!), the iPod started to break (NOOOO NOT MY MUSIC), and it was so outdated I couldn't download any apps. I couldn't afford the expense, but I couldn't afford to not have a phone either, so I upgraded to the iPhone 5.

I'm pretty happy.

9. Practiced Patonthebackism

Years ago, I saw a therapist who suggested I give myself a pat on the back after doing things I was proud of. It sounded silly but I'll be damned if I don't do it to this day. More often than not, however, I find myself saying out loud, "I have done a thing I did not want to do." Maybe it's going to the grocery (HAAAAATE), dropping off my recycling, or sticking to some semblance of a cleaning schedule. Something about congratulating myself when The Dreaded Task is done just works for me.

8. Did not cut my own hair

Self-explanatory.

7. Kept the passive aggression in check

In 2009, I gained an upstairs neighbor who was pretty quiet and didn't really annoy me. A couple years later, she started dating a guy she picked up at Walmart, moved him in six months later, and lo, The Humpingtons were born. They were... loud. And, uh, fond of each other. Very, very fond. I spent a lot of time cringing and trying to psych myself into giving them DIY instructions for making a padded headboard. I knew, however, that would start a fight and perhaps make things worse. Thankfully, they moved out six weeks ago and the upstairs apartment remains blissfully vacant. The Tell-Tale Humping has ended its run. Bowing! Flowers! CURTAIN.

6. Opened Etsy and Zazzle stores

Over the summer, I got back the urge to create art and started drawing a lot. I spent weeks creating and marketing my work before I ran out of steam. It's pretty hard to do both at once. Before the proverbial train pulled into the station, I opened online stores where I could actually sell some things I'd created. The Etsy store is woefully low on inventory, but I'll remedy that soon. Zazzle has more stuff, including save-the-date cards. For weddings. That might be taking place in, oh, 2014. (COUGH.)

5. Resumed painting

Truth be told, I resumed making all kinds of art this summer. I was on the mend from a rather soul-crushing experience and knew I was getting better when I started wanting to draw again. Then I got my words back and resumed writing poems, essays, and blog entries. A couple months ago, after a year of sitting around and literally staring at some blank canvases in my living room, I picked up my paintbrushes and got to work. The piece below isn't done yet, but it's getting there. (Cat not included.)

4. Changed my language

When I was in my teens, I put myself down a lot. I'd let myself believe mean things people had said about me, whether it was about my size or my race, and generally just treated myself like crap. I befriended stupid, mean people and didn't have a lot of true friends until I was about 24. I recently realized I still cut myself down a bit, although I had become much more subtle with age. (I'm an insidious wine!) I have always been perfectly at ease saying I'm a writer, but I would say "And I like to paint" instead of saying I was a painter. I kowtowed to other people's fears and ignorance about my spirituality and said I was Wiccan-ish or "witchy" and generally shied away from the subject, not wanting to deal with eye rolling, unease, or skepticism if I talked about energy, tarot cards, or celebrating the sabbats. I'm working on claiming more self-acceptance about being a big girl and have this shirt bookmarked as an item to buy when my confidence meter is a little higher. I don't need to tell anyone I'm fat, but wearing a sassy, fat pride shirt is a big step. (No pun intended.) I'm almost there.

3. Sang even though people could hear me

Despite being, at one time, a member of the Indianapolis Women's Chorus, I'm still pretty anxious about singing when others are within earshot. I was able to blend into the chorus, of course, and only left because working full-time and keeping up with the demanding practice were too much to handle. I still love to sing and have become quite famous in my car for my fabulous duets with everyone from Sara Bareilles to Lady Gaga. Lately, two of my favorite songs to sing are the slightly NSFW "Special" from Avenue Q and "Glitter in the Air" by Pink. I excel at belting them out in my living room, which has been the second best thing about The Humpingtons taking their burnin' loins elsewhere. (If I could hear them....) The only people I need to be concerned about now are the hipsters who live on the other side of the double. Given that they excel at hosting porch parties until 4 a.m. during the summer, they can deal with me singing for a few minutes.

2. Participated in a month-long writing challenge (not this one)

In November, I participated in a writing challenge billed as an alternative to NaNoWriMo. A friend posted a different topic each day and tasked the folks who had assembled to blog about them. I made it 19 days before I got distracted. Given that my last post was published the day before my 40th birthday, I think I know what sucked my attention away. Even though it's December, I'm going back now and finishing up the posts, which I consider a testament to the power of the assignment.

1. Created this blog

It's seriously the best thing I've done this year. I have readers, I'm getting comments, I'm writing every day, I'm truth-telling -- it's all good. Smrt grl.