The Mayfly Project 2007
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 (here’s the 2006 edition). 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.
Submissions for 2007 are now closed. Another year has passed, and we’re back again.
Watching late-night TV as we spoon on the sofa, laughing and kissing, coming and leaving, breaking up and making up, love, love, love, love, love.
Start new job. Ill, kidney failure, hospital, chemotherapy, hair falls out. He gets new job. Back to Southampton. Life (and hair) coming together again.
Terrible start, mentally ill child, docs say no hope for future. Different doc, new meds, calm and happiness once more. Life is great. Yippeeeeee!!!!!
Diet. Old friend fallout (relief!!!) Make ginourmous plans- (dance, yoga, writing, exercise) do zip Diet. New job. Stu and I find(ing our way. Diet.
settling back in, re-establishing roots. our cat came and curled up in our hearts. flew to families two years missed. finally, relievedly, deservedly british.
traveled some. broke up. moved to beloved guesthouse. helped others some. heart ached. painted. read. wrote. longed for something else. seeking often, found occassionally.
Almost done at the wrong college for the wrong degree. Much was stolen from me. Uncertain, unhappy, yet hopeful. Maybe 2008 will be better.
Learning to live in the back of beyond. Tweed jackets, feral cats, new gutters. Wilton’s Hall for Marc Almond’s return. France. Facebook. Very happy.
some still hold on. others slipped away. corn muffin. we’re still here. atop the mountain with the clouds rolling in; it’s all so beautiful.
A year of wonderous travel (Europe Asia) , profound loss (JPG miscarriage), good food, great friendship and a variety of film cameras.
Spent most of year working least I could. Took a chance. Happier for it even though now working more than I ever did before.
Finished school.
Lost something I never really had.
Moved to California.
Trying to figure out where I belong.
Am cautiously optimistic about new connections.
[photography(film)],[good, bad(days)],[nomadic future, embracing immaterialism], [still(geek, dork, student)], [love, hate, sleep, laugh], [depression{therapy(zoloft)}], [nueva york, chicago], allergies.
Pathetic, dismal beginnings.
Drama never ending, relationships disappointment.
Quit dead-end, financial status improved.
Found direction, back to school.
Encontró el amor mexicana!
C’mon 2008!
Happy. Depressed. Nervous Breakdown. Medication. Sister got married. Dealing with depression. Feeling somewhat better.
John starts home dialysis. Nephew born day after anniversary of Mum’s death. Infertility issues abound. Stopped speaking to stepfather. Work dramas. Depression strikes again.
Restarted:
churchgoing
singing (tenor)
therapy (effective!)
Got:
fluffy cat
into worse debt
sick of college
Stayed:
fat (and happy!)
perseverant
Realized:
yep, definitely gay
I went to Europe and realized I could open some doors, some open once a year, and others stay shut to the public forever.
finally ditched roommates. fabulous new pad. booming business. made ammends with mum. dad still clueless. brother imploding. best friends ever. i miss my ex.
Goodbye London. Hello Paris. Began an adventure. Started to write. A Kitten. Marriages. Beloved friends. Goodbye Granddad. Him. My heart. Beginnings again. Real. Giddy.
Could have finished my thesis, but didn’t. Got a proper job and thrived. Became a one-woman business. Decision: try to procreate in 2008.
Moved again – maybe for the last time? Degree nearly completed. Exhausted by family drama. Chose fat acceptance over bulimia. Learned that puppies sometimes suck.
Sad and blue, hard to remember happy. Scared and lonely, avoiding the hard choice. Hating myself for not living my life. Soulmate or Children?
Turned down a job, bought a house, discovered the wonder that is gardening, spent Christmas in Boston. Next year – who knows?
Came unhinged, got unhitched. Traded condo for studio apartment. Started therapy. Made music, wrote stories, got onstage. Tried to find myself, but still lost.
Got help, Let go, moved forward, created, found community, simplified life, walking lots, fell in love with my neighborhood, out of debt, happy, happy.
Bill. New York. The Girl in the Cafe. Cafe closure. Trains. Short film. Wrote feature. Love. Actually. Inspired. Job. Travel. Dreams. Realisations. Colaborations. London.
New friends. Finish school. Fantastic holiday. Start college. Manage to keep friends. Doctors. Diagnosis. Hopefully 2008 will be better.
Phew. Whirlwind friendship found too late. New life in the old town. Easier than anticipated farewell to old job. Immediate reality rediscovered. The end :)
Lost some weight, gained some muscle, living in a new place, seeing a hypnotherapist and a reiki healer, ended a relationship, am now alone.
Travel: Yosemite, Corvallis, Ashland, Big Sur, Portland, Toronto. Activity: no biking; dancing, hiking,. Many houseguests. Competent at work! Lunch group. Much fun. Still single.
Pregnancy, preparation, anticipation. Arrival of Alexander on March 17th. Learning to take care of baby, to be a mum, a parent. Such overwhelming love.
Moved from boyfriend’s house, now going broke living with progeny. Self sufficiency thwarted by health problems. Needing miracles, money, awesome friends. Worshipping digital photography.
Hated job, found better. Cut hair. Moved to Brooklyn. Summered. Quit smoking. Went to Catskills. Dog! Dog! Wrote, procrastinated, wrote. Liked myself this year.
started off co-hab, ended single and a little too wild. left florida for brooklyn. started grad school. got smarter and hotter. am happy, finally.
Got better with painting.
Left teaching; still not sure.
Jessie died.
Thailand adventure.
New puppy changes life.
Mum driving me nuts.
Thanks for Meeester.
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Ate
shagged
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked
Worked!
Bossy needs at least twenty-three words to sum up the first minute of last year but just for you she will try: Crap.
found love. finished school. worried. moved in with love. started something new. loved teaching. missed friends. loved friends. wonderful family vacation. excited for 2008.
Ma better. Ludlow birthday. Rufus London. I like it Olot. Bergerac. Two wet festivals. Wonderful Unthanks. Job bollocks. Amsterdam twice. Still mad in love.
finished school. started work. ditched bad boyfriend. took time out. friends left. missed them. made new friend. got good boyfriend. first shag. no license.
Planning, anticipation, wedding events, married love of my life, honeymoon, bela fleck. Brief depression, return to norm, life again good. Look toward next step.
Felt loved. Felt lucky.
Became older. Felt young.
Work dramas all over.
New promotion. New challenge.
Great family. Good friends.
Felt loved. Felt lucky.
Love. Searching. Live performances. New adventures. Improved health. Job hunting. Closure to relationship. Old friends stay, new friends go. Opened heart to new possibilities.
time so slow then. freindslove. stress. holidays blur. interailing – freedom, awe. university. new beginnings. irritation. levelling out. feel loved? want to get it right!
Death. Stress. Heartache. Yearning. Illness. Questioning. Anger. Love. Hate. Seeking. Music. Nature. Momma. Michael. Lee. Soldier. Sophia. Longing. Anxiety. Fatigue. Release. Hope. Learning. Prayer.
Laughing. Fun. Machu Picchu. Scuba: Octopus, Sharks, Rebirth, Shipwrecks, Lake Michigan, Underwater Pumpkin Carving. Sailing. Love. Heartbreak. Alive! Friends’ Changes: New Jobs, Divorces, Breakups, Support.
Too much cocaine, too little sleep. Twelve lovers. New friends: some made me cry. In love twice but it never took. Wrote a bit.
had the most beautiful baby girl. best year of my life so far. didn’t sleep much but didn’t care. i love her so much.
Laughed. Cried. Kissed. Left. Came Back. Made-up. Forgave. Prayed. Lost. Found. Grew. Happy. Sad. Mad. Joy. Kate. Dog. Wrong choice. Blog. Old Friend. Mark.