Before I rattle off my list of top 10 WTF moments this year, I’d like to provide two points of context.

First, we recently conducted an A/B test at work and discovered that titles containing lists, and titles containing words like “Me” “My” “You” “Yours” get much higher click-through. So I’ve attempted to apply this learning in this month’s blog title. I can tell you, I already feel shitty by how click-baity it is. But I promise, this is not click-bait and will be slightly more interesting than the other bovine “list-driven” online reading you’ll do this week.

Second, WTF is an incredibly versatile expression – alarmed-WTF, angry-WTF, funny-WTF, incredulous-with-joy-WTF…you get my drift. So this list is essentially whatever the fuck I want it to be.

Without further ado, here are my WTF moments of 2015:

1. I’m called into HR’s office and told that I need to minimize the use of the word “Fuck” because it’s making people in power uncomfortable – incredulous WTF, followed by mildly annoyed WTF. My response “Fuck thaaat”. Of course months later, when coverage of Dr.Stephen’s research (suggesting that people who curse are smarter, less violent and more attractive) went viral, I just HAD to share it with my work family.
2. Helping take care of my first and only nephew for the first 2 weeks of his fragile life – mind-blowing, heart-exploding, overwhelming-love, in-awe-of-life WTF.
3. Watching a guy get shot, watching him bleed in the parking lot across the street from my loft, watching the body, as it is lifted and taken away in an ambulance. The difference between a He and an It is a breath, a consciousness, a few seconds, a choice. Existential-Awakening WTF
4. Discovery of underground water on Mars, possible evidence of aliens harnessing their Sun’s power with a Dyson sphere, and BBC announcing that it’s going to produce Star Wars with the Next Gen cast, premiering in January 2017 – There’s-more-to-it-than-this-Ecstasy WTF
5. The last 30 minutes of Ex Machina, mouth agape in a horror-WTF, completely oblivious to the discomfort of being stuck in the last row on British Airways 49, from London to Seattle
6. Being called “IT” at work. IT? Really? Computer Science degree, 15 years of experience building cool stuff, and I’m considered IT? White-hot-rage-WTF followed by “Why-am-I-so-insecure-that-I-can-get-rattled-by-being-called-IT” WTF
7. The kindness of people – In my quest to find the perfect job, I was amazed by how generous my Code.org family was in helping me tap into their network, how supportive my friends and family were during my most insecure moments – I-feel-unworthy-of-this-help WTF
8. Realizing that despite decades of work and active reflection, I’m more scared of vulnerability than I’ve ever been before – disappointed-and-frustration-in-lack-of-personal-growth WTF
9. …yep I know I said it was top 10, but it won’t be. It’ll be top 8.5 because I want you to have your own WTF moment right about now. Let it be your “Don’t-trust-what-you-read-on-the-Internet” WTF