The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell...

And so time has come for me to write what will no doubt be an EPIC BLOG POST.  I used to do this closer to the end of the year, but inspiration has hit me now so I think it's best to act.

This is going to be a sort of round-up of the last year, and it will probably take a list form.  If that's the case, nothing is in any particular order, it's simply the way it has come out of my brain and onto the laptop.  Forgive the melodramatic post title, but it did seem sort of apt...

So, I guess I'll begin.

First and foremost, anyone who knows me is aware that this has not, in effect, been a good year for me (nor has it been for a large number of you); Also, if you know me, you'll already be aware of what made 2011 a particularly spectacular cluster-fuck of a year and I don't think I need to dwell on all the bad points.  Some of them will no doubt come up in the lists below but I won't be wallowing in the sadness of them all, because I've done my grieving for the most part and I actually want to focus on the things which I can take from this year and move forward with...

Things I Have Learned Or Re-Learned And Simple Facts:

• Some people, regardless of age, education, background or experience will still play games.
• Doing things spontaneously can be incredible; planning things to the finest detail also works.
• Allowing yourself to be in a situation where your apparent happiness depends on one person and one person alone is extremely negative.
• Follow your heart, but take your head with you.
• If the Doctor says "keep taking the medication, going cold turkey won't be wise", it's probably best if you listen to him.
• Sometimes, telling the truth or hearing the truth hurts more than you could imagine, but the truth is ultimately what you need to hear and you'll be glad of it later.
• "It's a TRAP!"
• Sonisphere is still the most amazing music festival I've ever been to.
• I have some of the very best friends I could ever wish for.  I've had the opportunity to see which of my acquaintances are real friends, which are fair-weather friends and which really weren't ever friends at all this year.  I've also made some really great new ones in these last 12 months (you know who you are), rediscovered a few (you also know who you are) and rid myself of those who weren't (I suspect they know who they are too).
• Tattoos and piercings done at exactly the right moment are almost as good as therapy.  Almost.
• Once you've partied in an abandoned old people's home, nothing will ever be the same again.
• Abandoned, Apocalypse, Synergy, Deviant and Faceplant are all incredible nights which I'm proud to either be a part of, run myself or know the people who run them.  Belushi's Below is a great home for all of them.
• Be grateful for what you have.
• Being "homeless" just isn't fun, no matter which way you look at it.
• My Mum and Dad are genuinely fantastic.  I'm unutterably glad I have them.
• My cats are the best cats in the world.
• ROCK CHOIR is awesome.
• Having bright red hair may require the most upkeep any of my hair colours ever has, but it's worth it.
• Corsets are amazing.
• Butlins is a brilliant place, if appreciated with friends and a healthy dose of irony.
• Mead tastes like liquid sunshine.
• "This too, shall pass"
• Treating friends the way you want to be treated is right; even if they don't always treat you the same way back, at least you've done what you felt in your heart was the right thing.
• Stick up for people.  Publicly.  With pride.
• "If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything"
• Meat is tasty and it goes in my belly.
• Brighton is my home.
• Emilie Autumn is a goddess.
• Shirley Manson is a goddess.
• Wives are FTW.
• Jealousy is an ugly, ugly emotion; Ugly when you feel it, ugly when you see other people in it's grip.  A little jealousy can be a good thing, of course, but more than that is just destructive and dangerous.
• Self-harm will always be a part of me.
• Always say "please" and "thank you".
• Google+ seems like it's a bit silly, really.
• Facebook is addictive.  But I'm OK with that ;)
• Everything tastes better when it's drunk from a tea cup.  Except Diet Coke, which tastes better straight from the can.
• Fire Extinguishers are both amazing and terrifying.
• Harry Potter films will always make me cry.
• I've made the right decisions and the wrong choices.
• I always trusted Severus.

I think that just about covers it.  I reserve the right to come back over the next few weeks to edit and amend this list before New Year's Eve ;)