A Eulogy for a Year

And so, 2012, you have come to an end. We passed our final moments together in a foreign land, halfway up a mountain, with a tired and aching body from the days activities. No fanfare, no drunken party, no screaming at the top of my lungs. Just watching the minutes trickle by, with a glass of red wine in hand, sitting and chatting with family and friends. A fitting end to an exceptional year. The highs you provided far outweighed the lows; with your help I became a person I enjoyed being around and had confidence in again.

You've had so many highlights that its hard to break them down. You provided me with the opportunity to revive my love of the theatre, and perform in two of the plays I have been most proud of. Vernon God Little was a production that restored my faith in the theatre, and brought me a whole bunch of new and close friendships. Epidemic went further; allowing me to sing and dance again on stage for the first time in ages - reminding me that I do have talent, that I work hard, that I love meeting new people. Its subject matter allowed me to think about mental health, depression and obesity - making me confront my own feelings and body image. Again, it introduced me to a whole range of fantastically talented, caring, exciting people.

You gave me the chance to be part of a few once in a lifetime events. Whilst not strictly a royalist, the Diamond Jubilee was an incredible testament to a woman who has devoted her life to this country, and I was completely caught up in the pomp and circumstance of it all. Coming, as it did, after the highs of Epidemic it perfectly set off the summer. A summer which was dominated by the greatest national event I've ever been a part of - the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Not only did I go to events themselves, but I devoured the coverage all over the media. It was an incredible chance to see the UK rally together, to have a city show its love for one another, and to have a world focus its attention on us.

And, you gave me the chance to travel. Skiing to France, Sailing in Sicily, and the greatest experience of my life - three months working and travelling in the Eastern United States. Here I met fantastic people, worked harder than I ever have before, and elected a President. I developed my skills (skills built up through a wonderful year with THT), forged new and lasting connections and experienced new cultures.

Through World Pride 2012 you made me realise that being involved in the gay community isn't something I should shy away from, but embrace. You helped me go looking for companionship; I met guys I liked spending time with. I went to gay bars and clubs for the first time in years and enjoyed myself. I started to appreciate who I am and understand how it makes me who I am.

You introduced me to wonderful people, you developed friendships that were there before, you helped me work on friendships I'd had for years before. You were exciting, you were fun, you were certainly hard work; but you were worth it. You had set me up for better and better years to come.

And so it is goodbye 2012. You've been wonderful. But I won't dwell on your end, I will look forward with excitement to the years to come. 2013 already promises to be great; with a new production to get my teeth into, a development of my career, flying the nest for good. Its started well so far, I can only imagine it will get better and better.