The Project
At the end of every year since 2000, we invite readers to look back on the last twelve months of their lives and reflect on what has been important, defining or constant during that particular year, and then sum their year up in just 24 words.
We believe that embracing the constraint of summing up the last year in a handful of words helps to focus what has really mattered.
The Background
In December of 2000, I met an old friend for dinner. We hadn’t seen each other in nine years, and hadn’t been in contact for eight. With only a few hours on a chilly evening in London to catch up before his plane left for Canada, we shared our stories in breathless bursts. So much had happened. We had to narrow it down to the essentials.
The best brief biography I’ve ever heard was for a mayfly:
“Born. Eat. Shag. Die.”
Because Ephemeroptera lives only for twenty-four hours, the summary of its life is refreshingly straightforward: To the point. The stuff that matters. Just the essentials.
I realised on the way home from the restaurant that there’s nothing quite like embracing the constraint of brevity (whether time or wordcount) when summing up the last year of your life to make you re-examine your priorities, or focus on what has affected you or was important to you over the last twelve months.
When I got home from seeing my friend, inspired by my evening and the biography of a mayfly bumping around in my head, I asked readers of this site to sum up the last year of their lives in just a handful of words. The Mayfly Project was born.
Due to popular demand, we’ve been running the Mayfly Project at the end of every year since then. It seems that people have got a lot to say - or rather, that a lot of people have got not a lot to say: twenty-four words, to be precise, reflecting the mayfly’s short lifespan.
Scroll down to read how people summed up their 2006 in twenty-four words. This year’s edition can be found here. What would your 24 words be?
Frustration, uncertainty, idiots, “just a bit longer…” Meanwhile, focused on photography, windswept places, friends, cat, love, decluttering. Resolved not to wait. Bollocks to them.
New flat, then anti-climax - no other big upheavals; feels uneventful. Saw Big Apple. First 10k run. Weaved wonderful websites. Loved lovely person. All good.
Hangzhou, then five stressed/sociable months in London. Civil partnership, after 21 years. Freelancing for Slate at Eurovision. Cumulative euphoria shattered by family bereavement.
Fantastic start, he ruined middle, wrong decision, regret, must learn to live with, met fantastic people when not expected, new family, bordeaux, hopeful future.
Made new friends. Blogged again. Felt very ill. Leg fell off. Not much else. Average kind of year, then.
Left job of sixteen years in May. Recuperated. Relaxed. Did exactly what I wanted for rest of year. Feeling revitalised. Looking forward to 2007.
Moved to China: Benxi, then Suzhou. Teaching fun, employers less so. Met a girl, I’m falling fast. Extending my stay, who knows how long?
started grad school
knitting olympics
first car accident
pacemaker
doctor who scarf
quit grad school
book deal
and
first female speaker of the house
Travel plans ahoy! Rabid saving. Grandad passes. London reunions, North American jaunt, South America amazes. Old friends, new friends. Old new flatmate. Fantastic year.
Became single, unemployed, homeless. Left London, became cattle farmer. Learnt to drive. Got awesome job, moved to Northampton, found love again, unrequited.
Nothing really happened. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Oh, I fell in love, too. Then fell out again.
After the horrors and heartbreak of last year, I am pleased to be able to say that this year has, so far, been unremarkable.
Migraines and pain galore. Physical and mental changes. Moved. Friends and family. Heritage questions - still not answered. New cat. Great work projects and fulfillment.
It started out great. Then “Murphy” moved in and shat the year to hell. Just now climbing out of the shit pile. Depression looms.
Life exploded. Organizing pieces.
Went to England. Quit job, found another- not great. Rediscovered art. Created. Got new roommate, got another. Then– bliss! Found love of my life.
trying to fill a gaping hole with all the wrong things. kept on running until i’m almost out of breath. what next, i wonder?
I consider it a truly remarkable achievement that I have ended up with less words written for my thesis than when the year started.
I wrote, I sewed, I cried. I looked after family home and business when alone. I plan, dream. Hope to meet my love again.
shattered and desperate, i prayed for help and was given faith. somehow our love survived the nightmare. and we started, very slowly, to heal.
New: Country, husband (partner)
No job. Stressed.
Get job! March start. Stressed.
Teammates amazing. Job insane. Stressed.
Mistake?
(partner) fighting. Stressed.
We’re better-
Happy?
started with pain and confusion. found a way. focused on important things. internship! met beautiful people. amazing experiences. growth. comfort. courage. learned to breathe.
Year of change; job - sucks, new, great; SF, SA, SH; new friends; 17 lbs gone; he likes me - not reciprocal; still finding the one
Took professional exam around which future was based, failed one paper, cried lots, registered to resit next year. Life is still work in progress.
Tom arrived and put the future in new light. Finances deteriorated still further. Started planning far ahead. Wife, son, business - life complete? Doubt it!
Studied.
Earned a living.
Kittens became fat tomcats.
Love is easy, relationship complicated.
Am I running towards graduation or away from something else?
Weary.
still pregger after two dead. holding breath.travel.insane job distracts.pain plus june baby joy. love baby, love father. made it to Xmas
New year, new attitude new outlook on life. Worked hard, played hard, had a great time, best year yet. Next year will be better.
New job. More money. Purchased SLR camera. Holiday. Decorated and refurnished bedroom. More curmudgeonly. Wife took redundancy. More money. Purchased Xbox 360. Displaced wife.
Moved south, defrosted, got Ixus, networked, lost data, burnt many backup CDs, got job, Flickred, learnt some, much more to go.
Everything outside of work was perfect. Reconnecting with family. Travelling. Spending time with friends. Giving my all and everything. What’s new? Getting some back.
Hard choices. Letting go. Trying to start over. Many wonderful friends. Love.
travelled; taught; worried about brother, d-i-l; quit job; started blog; offered new job; took photographs; broke; happy; celebrated forty; hugged many; loved one; survived.
Many funerals, none for people I loved. First draft of novel. Too much DIY. Great summer holiday. Some family sadness; much loving happiness. Achievement.
Married; wow; gym; frustration; geriatric road-rage; evil spam; comment fucktards; more music!; ire at employment arsetrumpets; writer’s block; grinding teeth; promises, promises, promises…
Switzerland: living alone
Spain: engaged
London: new job, home, friends
England: mom visists
Little Gidding: married
Michigan: visit family, friends
happy with myself, hubby
i, who never wanted kids, got pregnant (by choice)
i’m calm and excited simultaneously
and more in love with my husband than ever before.
Another wasted year. [Repeat eight times.]
I got divorced. After twelve years of marriage, bachelorhood is interesting. Actually, it’s pretty cool, although the poverty and celibacy can be tad irksome.
Began year with perfect one-night stand.
Tutored freshmen, decided on PhD.
Committed to giving friends a child.
Eczema. Smoked, stopped.
I miss love.
Wrote a book under my blog pseudonym, then lost my anonymity.
Hounded by media; private crisis. Book became bestseller.
Am still looking for love.
Attended Clare’s blogmeet, kept job in office reshuffle, daughter turned eighteen, borrows car lots, father-in-law died, visited Poland, otherwise much the same as 2005.
Wasted a whole year on the sofa watching Friends reruns, eating junk food. Still haven’t learned to budget properly. Had some good sex, mind.
emotional turmoil. visited florida. didn’t see many people. depression. art block. always broke. finally had a visitor. found the best boy ever. happier now.
Write.
Appendicitis. China. TASP, what is?
Summer, too fast. Must I only see you later?
School, disillusionment, but bounce back.
Crises of confidence.
Write.
Two already, really? Time flies. Routine, routine, routine. Photoshop, more photoshop. More friends going than coming. Case of the crazies, sane again.
Sexual tension. Drama.
MUN victory.
LITMAG!
Fashion show. Friendships dissolve.
TASP. Freedom. Life-changing.
First kiss.
Unbreakable bonds. Goals.
Withdrawal.
Fuck school.
College.
Music.
Life is crazy with a toddler and busy kid. Finances were tight this year. I continue to enjoy my MLIS classes, and making art.
Spent the year feeling comfortable: grad school, shacking up, job, friends, new hamster, travel, hobbies. Can’t ask for more than that everything sustains.
Terrifying. Absolutely amazing. Personal & relationship growth. Birth. Death. Creatively frustrating. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Loving motherhood. Somewhat stagnant. Overall however, very happy.
Weight up, weight down. America, best man. Friends emigrating. Abused kitten unexpectedly adopted. America again. Office move. Old boyfriend contacts - interesting! Weight up - darn!
passport problems, cash deficit, found love in vienna, friends abroad, lost love, found job, worked hard, surviving on guitar and music, moving to london.
Family drama got me down. Took up crafts. Summer sucked. Nieces growing fast. Best friend married. First visit to NYC. Hoping to evolve more.
Missed him LOTS, so reunited in Thailand.
He came back here and we were happy.
He went again, so I’ll go to Melbourne soon.
fattest ever, lost lots, new house, frustrated, no baby, central coast twice, happiest ever, found myself, in love, new friends, energy, creativity sparked
Chaotic. Watching my girl grow. Personal/emotional growth. New house. Fresh start. Accepting. Forgiving. Starting school. Newfound confidence in myself. I can do it.
three years later: still at the same job. the girl i kissed got married in october. i still don’t know what comes next. sigh.
From confusion came revolution.
I reassessed and flew away.
There I found meaning, myself.
Turbulence, esclation, then reward.
The best year of my life.
Difficult (Really, though?). Alternating lives. Changes everywhere (maybe). Winter, hope; spring, doubt— a summer that smoldered and withered. I am growing up.
Laser eye-surgery. Confidence. Toiled to finish PhD. Lonely, much fun, confusion. Complicated relationships. Wrote: grant, job applications, review, thesis. Submitted thesis. Expectations.
Check-in. Queue. Board. Bored. Doors to manual. Queue. Taxi. Hotel. Meeting. Board. Bored. Taxi. Check-in. Queue. Board. Bored. Door to manual.
Got married, dealt with death, irrational fears, and three totaled cars. Pain free first time in ten years. Those close hurt you the worst.
struggled: work, school, illness, stress. graduated, awards. started business. new house. lazy summer. confidence. emerging artist: writing, photography. butterfly from a cocoon. engaged. happiness returns.
Rushed the American dream…all work no play…searching heart and soul…dormant dreams…broken…going through motions…new eyes…renewal…rediscovered love
Muscles got stronger
Waistline got smaller
Exchange rate got worse
Procrastination got costly
Single fatherhood got tried
Blog got written
Standup got laughs
Yeah
bored/restless. new bigger library, less money/staff, much woe. screw that! new job, new city, much excitement. made new friends, kept the old.
learned: didn’t hate kids. now love a boy. visited subspace. flirted. became a Name. films, orchids, compulsive exercize, dancing, circus, clowns, freedom from self.
had some shitty moments, some poignant ones; nothing out of the ordinary
childhood was good
the future will be better, larger
I can’t wait
Love. Life. Peace. Death. All this has been found and Nothing more is needed.
associates degree: took thirteen years. heartbreak: watched three pets die. slow burnout: eleven years coding is too long. lucky though: loved thoroughly and well.
Very few regrets in total, but no wish for repeats: hard times, come again no more! Music, dancing, laughter, life, love, motherfucking good food.
coffee, coffee, coffee
teaching fellows interviews
move to New York
new friends, new challenges
theatre…the vertical hour
because we have no other choice!
Finished first year in University, chose a major for my degree, had my computer break down 2 times, got a new one, beat a ton of video games, watched some really nice anime’s, had to suffer through some blah Naruto fillers, had a friend move out west and have grown closer to many friends thanks to the great MSN. Wrote my own story though it still needs to be completed. Will set out to have a great year in 2007.
Still like job. Broke up with boyfriend in July. Dating progress hindered by high standards. Hope 2007 contains soulmate or at least good sex.
Lived dually; totally in love and totally insane.
Munster, moving, photos, triathlon, Guinness, friends, travel, stillness, West Wing, laughter, blogging, Last FM, flickr, Mull, Lisbon. London.
Tired now.
Taking another deep breath.
Solid beginning. Messy middle. Painful end. Found more me. Won’t give up dreams. Friends became core. Family deaths. Marriage death? Likely. Found strength. Thanks.
Equilibrium improving. Europe adventures. Back on scene! big scary, big busy ate summer. New friends!!! “I trust you.” Biking. Thesis! more ahead. Switzerland awaits.
My roots lost hold of earth
in the house of the crab.
I head for the desert
and a technical lab.
Tedium. Forgotten. Bored. Broke.
Birthday - mostly forgotten.
Moved on a whim.
Fresh start. New, fun job. New faces. Scary future, no plans.
At peace. :)
Moving, then not moving. Out of a job, church closes. Said goodbye to dreams and California, hello to full time husband with no job.
Uncertain winter. Stress. Happy spring. Singing. Summer inside. Spain; Europe; new friends; tapas; relax. American uncertainty. Loneliness. Sudoku.
Graduation! Employment! Stable income. Continued recovery from Katrina. Death of a relative. Much travel and time with friends. Learning to live and let live.
moving into new house.
holidays in thailand,rome,germany,austria
work slowly killing me from inside out
need for change in 2007
Got fired. Got hired. New job same as last. Good friends, good times, but still manage to waste my time in all the same old ways.
Got stuck, and then learned a lot by getting unstuck. New direction that still ends up in the right place. New worlds to explore.
Adore husband and children. Love old and new family. Library gratifying. Lay-offs. Concerned for friends and family. Writing more. Italy, Chesapeake. Reading again. Merry-go-round.
Worked my ass off. Got into law school. Yay!
First ever house - love it, so lucky. Life in separate apartments – mock or applaud? Brother moves in – three’s a party – moves out. Work hard.
slept lots, gained weight - needed to, Bermuda cruise, new friend, no sex, new blog, surfed the internet lots, music discovery, small life, time alone
Winter. Wrong job. Confusion. Disappearing trick. Depression.
Spring. Fluoxetine. Migraines. Kindness.
Summer. Studying. Sunshine. Room to breathe.
Autumn. Swimming. Challenge. Fun.
Winter. Dark. Cold.
new challenges
bifocals
vox
birmingham
adl * komen * owl radio
graduated therapy * grateful for sanity
las vegas wedding
c25k * bad back * zero falls
big crushes
California; Oxford; Saïd; Business School; New York; MIT; free time ebbing away; stress; breakup. Deep breath. Self employment; Helen; serious life changes; Mexico; California.
Wrote 12,000 word dissertation, graduated (hooray!), changed career path, interviewed, got awesome job, moved to London, decided that Librarianship was the career for me. Happy.
Bali: blissful yoga
New York: lonely,wet but beautiful
Travelled alone
Got stressed
Changed jobs
Returned to Lisbon
Counselling course: challenge,frustration
Friends drifting
Catalunya: for Christmas
Still here. Rediscovered stress and value of holidays. Painful separation, not from lover. Made new true friend. Thrilled for Ashes (not cricket related). Vox.
coughed, trained, finished triathlon, danced ballroom, saw shakira, went to texas, went to mexico, adopted a cat, went to visalia, watched a friend die.
Love not in words but in action. (Harder.)
Mom’s cancer: tough; perseverance; victory.
Sticking with God.
Love. Being loved. Wonderment.
School. New possibilities.
EMBOLDENED.
I strive daily to cultivate peace and compassion. I am often blissful, sometimes troubled, sometimes stressed, and usually a bit lonely. Change is possible!
Broken hearted (again). Summer World Cup = Berlin. Muse at Eden. Wedding in Alsace (not mine). Redundancy new job = New town new home new life?
oracle, yahoo
flew to asia, hawaii
still not in L.A.
mayfly 2006…
my mayfly project entry for 2006, which is sum up the last year in 24 words or less, although somehow i end up doing a haiku: oracle, yahoo flew to asia, hawai’i still not in L.A…….
Moved into new house. Husband-man got job in Austin. Half marathon, MS150, 3 triathlons. Holiday in Chamonix, attended two weddings in England. Having a baby!
Bored out of my mind. Love and hate thing with job. Really connected with family. Still no love life. Doubt there ever will be.
Living in the desert learning photography..
solo hiking.. personal bests.. endurance.. extremes.. risks..
flirting with death but not yet looking her in the eye..
joined gym, did yoga, took auditions, planned/gave recital, played festival, had fun, moved to boston, adopted cat, made new friends
Uncertainty, fear and pain. Death. Strong moments. Felt proud and honoured. Creative again finally. Have hope. Glad to see 2007.
The Girl in the Cafe. Girl. Cafe. Bill. New York. London. Move. Postcards. Daniel. Film school. University. Screen writing. Davy. Love. Dreams. Plans. Realisations. Found.
Still with Dan. Still not in love. Cafe still not so good. Lake house not rented yet. Yikes, sounds worse than it was.
make haste slowly.
travel.
truck.
paddling.
facing fears.
asking.
friends, food, home, warmth, family.
new beginnings (but with more data).
thanks.
east bay?!?
(exhale)
Still teaching. Married for fourteen years, still happy. Daughter is my best contribution to society. Blogging, crafting, learning. Working on being happy with self.
Visited the Big Apple. Didn’t get into Law School. Hated my job. Love my current major. Got a new roommate. Stressed through autumn.
sleep is dead. Summer:
The creepy kid. Lonely.
Ishmael.
My people: Love! Superlatives!
Chicago.
School = friendless.
Killed a man. ….Anymore!
Bliss.
Identity! Happy myself.
Kept to myself. Fell in lust. Still too fat. Been depressed, but fear not! there’s a pill for that! Gee, menopause is swell… not.
Techno leap, braces, finally a digital camera, bad wrist; no exercise, Bleak House continued, film zombie. An answer? New ancestry, Berlin, more grounded. Friends.
Went to school too much, or too little by their standards. Hung out at the beach all the damn time. Saw Guillemots live. Fly!
Started grad school, got accepted, lost gram, married two years, learned my mentor does like me.
Looked for new job, taught, learned more.
Helped save a life.
Managed not to lose mine.
Missed a boat ride with a wonderful man.
Fought to save my way of life.
Still fighting.
Paid off mortgage, bought cottage. Lost biggest client next day. Some amazing family canoe outings, but cottage hardly used. Depression overcome… stress, debt remain.
Vet school is so much harder than I dreamed. Class, study, sleep, blah blah. My poor husband has almost forgotten my name. Still going.
Melbourne. Finally, the boy! Colourful nesting. Kareoke. Dumplings. Sunday sunshine beers on milkcrates at St Jerome’s laneway. Cloud montages. But adult? Work is horrible.
Strengthened and added friendships; dissolved relationship.
Good classes; three education-related jobs.
Love matrices happen at college, too.
I’m a good sounding board.
Norway. Blueberries.
Moms’ cancer. Chemotherapy, radiation. Hair loss and humor. Airports. Tears. Ripley. 938 miles. Walking my brother home from school. Love stronger than I imagined.
Spring Training • RCIA • Promotion! • France: Paris, Reims, Chamonix • Almanor • Squaw Creek • Andrew Heringer’s Morgan the Conqueror • Training for AR50 • Two incomplete goals • Four Funerals
Thirty-seven. Back to school as an undergrad, getting good grades, who’d'a thunk it? Son’s nearly five, learning to read. Husband’s amazing. Life’s good.
left job for phd, computer engg to computational biology in a top notch institute. regret. not good at cramming. confused: back to job/mba/phd in cs - what do i really like to do?
Made peace with the realisation that I’ve lost faith
Pushed the limits of my comfort zone
Got stuck in elevator 30 minutes before 2007
Finsihed college, left the “best years of my life”
moved alone to a new country
Learned more than in all 4 years of college
Schizophrenic Dad’s alive! Puzzle piece found. Lose family.
Move, horrible job, broke.
Faint in Yosemite (1st date!)
Isolated, then stronger, patient.
Family returning slowly.
Ass kicked by illness, injury, pestilence, poverty, depression. Babies everywhere, friendships solidify, warming the heart. Learn, dream, persevere, resolve, hope, laugh, love, live - vigorously.
Great New Years
Became Manager
Portland
Got new camera
Break Up
Lost Boss
San Diego
Wrote novel
Trying again
Stood up in the end
I only need fiveteen words to describe this piece of shit year. 2006 you suck!
A dogged start
A death
A denial
A degree
A dashing husband
A delightful daughter
A dog, smelly but wonderful
A dozen dreams
Amen
Trip to Tassie. Moved house. Marked essays. Met some men- no luck. Two weddings. Eight live music shows! Wrote 304 page story. Started blog.
Brother’s death, lost friend.
Guilt, grief.
New city, new job.
Loneliness, confusion.
New love, new life.
Contentment, clarity.
Undesired drama, renewed faith.
Chaos reigns.
Nashville: Stress; Resignation; Change; Determination; Chance; Hope.
Seattle: Journey; Exploration; Lost; Discovery; Adaptation; Growth; Appreciation; Reflection; Reminiscence; Importance of Life, Friends, and Family.
CHAOS!
Not as interested in video games.
More interested in politics, finances, and of all things: cooking.
Holy crap. I’m becoming an adult.
Moved to Papua New Guinea and moved on from heart break. Gave up the fags then considered becoming one. Didn’t save the world. Again.
Secrets are hard. Making progress. Recovering. Happy on my own. Feeling old. Travelled more than I can afford. More and more in love. Calm.
fighting, love, unravelling, regaining, strength, lost love, looking for self, new direction, old habits, silly mistakes, being ok, loving, living for the moment, trying
Law school. Broke up with boyfriend. Back together. Broke up. Back together. New apartment. Got fired from job. Grades sucked. Financial mess.
New start.
Completed master’s (with distinction). Joyce in Trieste. Fell in love four-ish times (unreciprocated as always). Did the same to someone else. Started my doctorate.
Got hurt. High for first times. School’s wonderful. Teaching’s amazing. Trying to be a better person. Still kissless, still good. Found friends. Made comics.
sad. death. breakup. found self. job quit job quit. happy. kisses. boys and girls. road trips. friends and beer. love soon i hope. high. sisters good. the end.
Nice weblog,keep up the good work and let’s have some more posts like this.
changed jobs lots, didnt like any. applyed to expesive college, got in. summer in florida. new start at college. miscarraige. still love my husband.
fell in love. where there’s a beginning, there’s an ending, whether it’s fit for heaven or hell. still trying to put myself back together.
gave up my job, gave up my partner, found a new job and a new home, and a new partner too. Wish me luck.
Procrastinating, still.
I am not me.
Trapped, sadness, balanced by hope.
I can taste a new life.
Courage and conviction for the journey.
Soon…
Was uncertain. Hid boredom behind music. Broke free from personified monotony, got the life straight, much happier.
Won some. Lost some.Found myself, welcome back.now I laugh alot
binged; cried; studied; passed!; prize!; quarrels; fallout with father; second nephew; more quarrels; cried; binged; moved out ;alone; lonely; cried; learning; where is he ??
St Lucia, Las Vegas, Calgary, Marrakech, Thailand, Married. London, New Job, New wishes, New boots, New Bike, Family Guilt