A Year of MORE

Happy New Year!

Hopefully, all of you enjoyed your New Year’s Eve celebration. Friends in Australia and New Zealand celebrated first at events like EUCHRONIA but there were plenty of other steampunk celebrations around the world,  The Victorian Steampunk Society – Steampunk New Year in Corby, Northants, UK, the Steampunk Canada Party at Futurecon in Markham, Ontario and the Steampunk New Year’s Party at the Off the Beaten Path Bookstore in Farmington, Michigan, as well as events in Las Vegas, San Jose and Seattle.

2010 was quite the year for steampunk activities, events, and communities, and now we can look forward to what is already in the works for 2011. We really do have an embarrassment of riches.

My expectation is that this year will be even better for steampunk in all areas. There will be new books to read, new music to hear, new outfits to wear, and so many more people to meet!

And so, I invite all of you to join me for a year of MORE –

Magnificent Opportunities for Revelation and Exploration!

This can be the year were we see ever more creative expressions in artwork, writing, and discussions. With our interests and energy, we can add MORE great things to the mix of our lives, discover and share MORE fascinating tidbits and grand adventures, and build MORE on the foundations of yesterday for a greater tomorrow! We are those steampunk adventurers we read about in our stories, and we are those crazy tinkers and tailors. We are those steampunks who rise MORE to the challenge and find MORE solutions to every obstacle. It is up to us to make MORE of the coming year.

MORE isn’t just about steampunk, however. It is something we can bring into each of our days and each of our actions, no matter how small. My grandmother Rachel, may she rest in peace, made it a point that every day was worthwhile. She never saved something for a special occasion because for her, every moment in her life was special. She was a woman who treasured every laugh with friends and every meal with family. Her few everyday dishes were china, and her phone calls a cause of celebration. When I learned the hard way that sometimes tomorrow doesn’t come, she was the clearest reminder and example of carpe diem.

Every day can be MORE for us, too. From the good and bad, maybe especially the bad, we can learn something MORE and grow from it. We may soar with our airships and be hindered by our gears, and that means we can experience MORE to share with others. We shall count our blessings and work through our sorrows and find MORE along the way.

This year, we can learn MORE, do MORE, be MORE, live MORE.

Enjoy your year, and enjoy it MORE!