Resolutions

After 40 (YIKES!) years (give or take a few when I was blissfully young, innocent and not at all worried about what other people thought of me) I have basically come to accept the fact that the only thing I should resolve for New Year’s is not to make a New Year’s Resolution. In fact it was quoted in the New York Times this week that the average person’s New Year’s Resolution is abandoned by Valentine’s Day – I probably beat that curve by a month.

And I don’t know if I have simply decided that I don’t have the energy to make myself prettier, younger, hipper, funnier, or any other adjective that describes some sort of societal deficiency that I should strive to overcome (which I could), or to lose those last 15 pounds (which I should), but this year I am categorically refusing to undertake any Quixotian quests for shallow media-motivated disenfranchised self-improvement.

That being said, since I do believe that there are many areas of my life in need of a tune-up, I am rather resolving to turn my attentions inward and ramp things up emotionally, intellectually, and creatively. Being that sounds pretty daunting just looking at it (let alone doing it), I have devised a plan to break it down into manageable steps using a“One per …” formula. So with the caveat that the resolver reserves the right to substitute any or all resolutions for ones of equal or greater value, here is the plan for 2009:

- Take at least one picture per day – keep a digital and print record
- Read one book per week – keep a log of titles and authors
- Plan one outing per month – preferably with someone new each time
- Work on one project for the whole year (considering bodhran or Italian, but the jury is still out on both)

To show that this resolution is made in good faith, below are the photos for 01/01 & 01/02…
Felice Anno Nuovo!

01.01.09 & 01.02.09