During the final week of 2021 it’s still internet-funny to joke about how terrible the year has been. I like jokes, but I also think we need to be careful to not only focus on the negatives in our lives. If you want to know all the bad stuff about 2021, tune in to any news channel or pretty much any relative’s Instagram/Facebook. If you want to know some reasons why 2021 was a great year for me, stick around. And since a Top 10 would leave out too much, here’s the McAbee Top 21 in chronological order:
1. The Birthday Run. On January 4 I got to run, in person, with Nick and Dominic! Lauren was also present so we got to see her and enjoy some Waffle House together afterwards. Many other friends ran with us virtually and it was super cool to feel such love on my birthday.
3. 1st Ever Marathon. Katherine and I trained for and ran our first marathon in January. I enjoyed the long runs in training and was not only looking to run 26.2 miles, but I was thinking hard about running in a respectable time. Joke was on me though, when I struggled harder than in any training run because I was feverish while my body was being overrun by the dreaded pandemic virus. I was slow, but I finished!
4. 2nd Solo Show of the Year. I had a fun exhibit in the main gallery at Upstairs Artspace. I love this gallery and the town of Tryon and I had a great time putting this exhibit together.
5. Bascom With Brinana. Brianna and I got into the Bascom 100 Miles Juried Exhibit and we got to travel to see the show. It was cool to share this honor with her, especially with her banana sculpture during her senior year.
6. Talent Show With Violet. It was nerve-wracking to audition in front of Violet’s friends and teachers at school but it was great to get green-lighted to perform at the talent show. We practiced and were ready and it was very cool to perform.
7. Violet’s 1st Paying Gig. Violet and I were hired to play songs at an arts festival in Tryon. We spent some extra time practicing and gathered our favorite songs together. We bought a speaker and a microphone and we were officially official.
8. Sand Sculpture Trip. It was great to get to travel to the coast again with students. I led this trip completely solo and had such a wonderful group of students. We had so much fun and they made very cool work.
10. Tom Stanley. Tom is a mentor and when he made a donation to Lander, I was lucky enough to get to deliver it. I drove to my old college town and spent a few minutes with Tom and Kathe before driving back. It was so great to hang out with them again.
11. 701 Mural and Workshop. I was invited to do a mural for the City of Columbia along with a workshop for the Boys and Girls Club. During the week-long event, I was the artist in residence at 701 and with some help from Katherine, I led a bus load of kids in creating their own murals while also working on mine.
12. Stairwell Mural. I was commissioned to do a permanent mural in a stairwell at Public Works Art Center in Summerville. From closing time Friday night until opening time Monday morning, I had the stairwell blocked off with a scaffolding system. Long days and nights but a lot of fun.
13. Concert Part One. Violet, Katherine, and I drove to Atlanta for the Hellamega Tour. We got to visit the High Museum during the day and drove to the stadium for the concert later. Due to a terrible parking/crowd situation, we missed Weezer’s performance. Green Day was really great.
14. Concert Part Two. On our way to vacation, Violet and I devised a plan to see the Hellamega Tour again. We got dropped off at the stadium early, saw The Interrupters and Weezer and then ducked out. We were picked up at the gate and back on our way to vacation.
15. St. Augustine Vacation. We had a fun week of adventures and relaxing with the family.
16. Langhorne’s Butt. I drew Langhorne Slim’s butt from a photo he took in Montana. I posted it for Buttdrawingmonday and was contacted by his manager about purchasing rights to the drawing for merchandise. I was blown away. They bought the drawing, had shirts made and they’re for sale on his website.
17. Running. Blue and Violet both ran Cross Country for their school this year. Blue had a tough year of injuries and was recovering most of the season. He showed his determination by never giving up or quitting. I was so proud of him for that. Violet started running in June and dropped something like 30 pounds while training. She got faster and faster and eventually won 1st place in a JV race. I was very proud of her for working so hard and changing her habits.
18. Freakin’ Fairies. I had a great plan for the Halloween costume contest at school. The internet failed me and my major necessity did not arrive in time, leaving me on the day of the contest with no costume. I was “rescued” by Amber and the rest of the fairies who also didn’t have costumes and we all decided to be fairies together. This involved me trying on dresses in Goodwill and getting my makeup done with glitter.
19. 4th Solo Show of the Year. I was invited to bring my “Even When It’s Dark” exhibit to Redux Contemporary Art Center in Charleston, SC. This place is one of my bucket list galleries and I’m honored to be featured there. The installation was fun and the opening reception was so great.
20. Accidental Vacation. The Christmas week accidental vacation with Violet was also a highlight. I hate that the rest of the family had to be sick, but Violet and I had a great bonding trip filled with adventures.
21. Jana & Dan. Just Jana and Dan Riley. They are their own highlight of my year. I met Jana and Dan, got to have cool conversations with them, learned wonderful things about them, and enjoyed hanging around them. They ended up having such a huge impact on my year. So much greatness.
And there you have it. And honestly, that’s just the tip of the iceberg of fun and good times. I had coffees with wonderful people. I had random conversations with people that made my day. I got to give things to strangers and see them smile. I got to make so much music with Violet. What a wonderful year. What a wonderful world.
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