Greetings, Shark Listener!
At last, we’ve reached the end of 2019, a year which personally, I would like to forget.
However, there were lots of good memories scattered within this dumpster fire, and once again I kept my tradition of making a 2019 memory jar (you may recall I made one last year, and I did it in 2017), and it is jam-packed with all the things that I experienced this year. Tickets from shows like O.A.R. at The Paramount and The Rooftop at Pier 17, Hugh Jackman at Madison Square Garden, Joel McHale at The Paramount, Dave Matthews Band at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater (one concert spread across two nights due to inclement weather!), Dave Hill at Union Hall for his stand-up comedy album taping, plus all the many trips to Q.E.D. in Astoria to see Dave Hill, Jodi Lennon, Jim Biederman, and Chris Gersbeck record their podcasts.
I also kept movie ticket stubs from Avengers: Endgame (which I saw FOUR TIMES), Captain Marvel, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Toy Story 4, Shazam!, and Booksmart.
It wasn’t just concerts, shows, and movies; I saved the invitations from parties and weddings, flyers from comedy shows, and I saved a printout from a nice email I received from an acquaintance, filled with encouraging words of comfort when my father passed away over the summer.
Oh 2019, you were an overwhelming, emotional, stressful, and impossible year. I couldn’t have made it through the year without the help of some amazing people. You helped me see the light in my darkest hour. When things were at their worst, you were there for me and looked out for me, and I couldn’t thank you enough. While this year had some awful things happen, some positive things happened, too – new experiences, new opportunities, new friends, and the chance to make some beautiful memories. I have met some pretty amazing people in the past year, reconnected with some others, and I could not be happier about that.
If 2019 left you with feelings of uncertainty of the future, you are NOT alone.
I see you.
It is okay to have these feelings and they are valid.
Be grateful for the good times and keep the faith during the bad times.
Stay positive when life gives you a reason to be negative.
Keep fighting.
I wish you strength and courage in 2020.
Thanks for taking 94.3 The Shark with you!
-Mid-Day Jamie