Mattox Live

Let’s face it. It’s the end of year. It’s the end of the decade. We’re all taking a moment to look back and look ahead. We’re in that weird limbo time between Christmas and New Years when time seems almost suspended.

I spent a lot of time last night going through the last year, getting ready to do a visual look back at the year over on my Instagram Story. It was a good year. I can’t say it really had any one huge moment of, “This is the defining moment of the year.” I did a lot of very cool photography jobs, including traveling to shoot friends’ wedding in Gatlinburg.

We actually went on vacation, and my husband landed a job in a camp that truly feels like a family. Maybe my oral surgery could take the defining moment trophy for the year. I took control of my health in that moment and did something I should have done years prior.

My niece graduated from high school, and I went to my 20 year class reunion.

Today, I looked back over the last decade. We moved twice. The second time was into our first house that has our name on the mortgage. Serious adulting happened there. We both had career shifts, my husband to driving and myself with photography taking off. In so many ways we are better off financially, and yet in other ways we’re about the same only managing it way, way better. Our marriage is as strong as ever, I’d argue even stronger. And we’ve had dreams change and shift and sharpen over the last 10 years. I’m very excited to see what the next 10 years will bring for us.

We have countless new friends. I’ve met people I only thought I could dream of meeting. If you can count your wealth in relationships and experiences, I am already one of the richest people I know. I can’t begin to properly convey how thankful I am for that.

We’ve sadly lost a lot of loved ones as well. Many have passed away. As we get older, I suppose this will become more common of an occurrence. We’ve also had friendships fade, as happens when you grow and change. It’s all part of life, I suppose. It’s the part I don’t like, and, frankly, sometimes fear. So many people in my life I fear losing, but that I also make sure I cherish the moments I have with them.

All in all, its been a good decade, though. For giggles I did list off the high points of each year… for anyone curious. (Though I have no doubt I’ve missed things)

2010 → Nashville flood, Lots of financial stress
2011 → Moved to Donelson, Filed bankruptcy, Decided to make photography a thing
2012 → Summer trip to Oregon, Craig got his motorcycle, Cowboys Stadium for State Championship, TAMU joined the SEC
2013 → Joined the NASLC as TAMU rep, Saw Buble in concert as well as Glenn Miller Orchestra, photographed my first wedding
2014 → Bought a house, moved to Gallatin, Fiddle & Steel closed
2015 → TAMU played Vanderbilt… and then came to the Music City Bowl, Toby Keith and Eric Church concerts with Fiddle Family, Craig transitioned to bus driving full time, My first trip to California
2016 → Started working at Yazoo Brewery, Did the KY Bourbon Trail, Craig did the Digital Rodeo show at CMA Fest, first time second shooting a wedding, my nephew graduated high school
2017 → Helped photograph more events than I can list (and probably bruises from pinching myself at all of them!), Did the Muscle Walk in Nashville last minute, Trip to Oregon that included going to Bend
2018 → Credentialed photographer at CMA Fest, Lots of events photographed again, Expensive year in vehicle maintenance, CBC Week happened, On a committee for the Association of Former Students, Trip to California
2019 → Yazoo moved to Madison, I volunteered at a Ring Day, Vacation to Gatlinburg, My first time at the Symphony, My niece graduated high school, 5 year reunion of the Fiddle & Steel, Oral Surgery, traveled to Gatlinburg to photograph a wedding, 20 year class reunion

And there it is. The teens and a solid summary of my 30s I guess. I’ll do a look ahead to the 2020s in another post coming up, when this wave of nostalgia fades. I hope the 2010s were good to you, or in the very least gave you perspectives to build upon going forward.