| I've never liked the idea of New Year's | | | | makes it more real when you write it down. And |
| Resolutions. If you make them, you feel that you | | | | write it down I do. |
| are somehow accountable, and what if you don't | | | | Nothing is immune from my New Year's |
| live up? Who's keeping score anyway? It could be | | | | non-resolution list making, sometimes it's an inch |
| the most unrelenting taskmaster of all. On a very | | | | or two that must go, am I getting all the exercise |
| real level, the worst person you ever want to | | | | I need? Other times it is that novel I meant to |
| disappoint is yourself. Maybe that is why I don't | | | | finish, and despite making my non-resolution list at |
| like New Year's Resolutions. | | | | least every other year, it will be there until I'm |
| Despite the fact that I don't like them and I | | | | done. Oh, and that trip I always wanted to take! |
| invariably refuse to make them, the New Year is | | | | How much will I have to budget to make that |
| nevertheless a time to reflect, to think about | | | | one excursion happen. I can't even remember the |
| where you've been in the past year and to set | | | | last time I made it to the beach. And that trail |
| your sights on where you'd like to go. This much | | | | I've always wanted to hike. That old friend I've |
| self-analysis I can handle. | | | | been meaning to write, the garden I want to |
| As the holiday festivities wind down, I enjoy | | | | plant, the new recipe I want to cook - just |
| curling up with a nice cup of my favorite coffee | | | | because I know we'll all love it. The special evening |
| and spending some quality time with myself, | | | | I want to spend with my honey. Nothing, |
| thinking about what I've accomplished in the last | | | | absolutely nothing is immune from my list making |
| year, and also thinking about things from last | | | | and you can count on things being there for no |
| year's list, uh non-list, that I really wish I had | | | | other reason than that those are things I really, |
| accomplished. What went wrong? How do I get | | | | really would like to do. Get the idea? These are |
| back on the path I want? | | | | the things that make my life my own; these are |
| I think back over the last year and I think hard. | | | | the things that make life good. |
| Sometimes, no matter how hard you try; life | | | | Likely, as not, though, I'll also include the next |
| really does get in the way of itself. But you know, | | | | exact step I need to take to keep my career on |
| when I am working just as hard as I can, and | | | | the path I want. And, down to business, keeping |
| things still don't work out, I don't have to | | | | my finances in order, and my house from falling in |
| apologize to anyone, all I have to do is remind | | | | around me. I also try to take note of my friends |
| myself to keep trying. | | | | and family: are my relationships all where they |
| Keeping in mind that old adage about try, try | | | | should be? Are the people who depend on me |
| again - sometimes it's not that we need to try | | | | happy and are their lives heading in the direction |
| again, we've already been doing that -- again and | | | | they need to be going? If not, what can I do to |
| again and again. Sometimes we really do need to | | | | help, what is in my power to do and what is |
| try something else. That said, I do think hard | | | | realistic? This is not a nosedive into |
| about what I need to do to keep myself on | | | | co-dependency, this is about looking at my family |
| course. Sometimes I need to stay on the same | | | | and friends and trying to make sure that I am |
| old course and try it one more time and | | | | doing my part. You know, the old saw about, "It |
| sometimes I need to try something different. | | | | takes a whole a village...." Well, it does. |
| Either way, as another old saying goes, "I ain't no | | | | Just about done now, this is not a long |
| quitter." | | | | assignment, just a few moments with a nice cup |
| I'm also a dreamer and after I really look hard at | | | | of coffee, a pen and a piece of scratch paper. |
| the things I need to keep after, the things I need | | | | Just a little bit of thinking, a little bit of planning -- |
| to change, the things I need to fix, and the | | | | and just about done reminiscing when some |
| closets I need to clean out, I spend some time | | | | unspent tears make their way to the surface. |
| dreaming about the things I want to make a | | | | That's okay too. Because, invariably, that too is |
| reality. I think about those dreams. And most | | | | part of my little bit of time, with my favorite cup |
| definitely, I dream those dreams. | | | | of coffee, facing the New Year once again. Life is |
| Deep down, I am a list maker, a planner and a | | | | hard, no doubt, and I'd be lying if I said the last |
| dreamer. And just about the time I take the last | | | | year hadn't been hard. Nonetheless, in a lot of |
| sip on those reminisces and regrets about the old | | | | ways, it has also been a good year and I have a |
| year, I fill my cup one more time. Now, I am | | | | new one to look forward to. With that, I scribble |
| thinking about the New Year, what I want to | | | | out my last non-resolution, polish off the last drop |
| accomplish, what I need to accomplish, and what I | | | | of coffee and with bitter-sweet resolve, I am |
| want to do, just because I want to. | | | | once more ready to face the New Year. |
| Out comes the paper and pen. Somehow, it | | | | |