New Years Resolutions
January 14th, 2008 at 5:37 pm
It’s Day 14 of the Year of the Election. Have you attacked or slandered an opponent lately? Shed a few pounds or quit smoking at least?
I’m inclined to hate New Years Resolutions, convinced as I am that they are the spawn of the same puritanical squares who started religion and came up with a bunch of stuff that feels great so is most assuredly Evil and Wrong and Not Good for us.
But I actually like New Beginnings and a Fresh Start, like starting a new book. It’s like a first date, opening a brand new bottle of whiskey, or going to the shelter to pick out a dog. They all start so different. But the journey and adventure and story is most always Good.
Whether some primeval forest between Poland and Belarus, or a forgotten ancient city in China, it doesn’t matter. The beginning doesn’t really matter. What matters is that it takes you somewhere. Anywhere. Anywhere you haven’t been.
New Years Resolutions are silly and January 1st is just another box on the calendar, but then why even bother getting out of bed in the morning? Why open a new book? Or a bottle of wine? Or say hello to that cute boy?
Because that is Life. Life is a series of Beginnings followed by a never-ending Journey. Yes, there is Death. What would we do without it? Kierkegaard explained that, “No gain or loss is more important than death.” Because what matters is you started somewhere and went somewhere else. Where exactly, is not important. As long as you went.
I know where you take that bottle of Whiskey. I know where that road leads….drum roll….the kitchen pantry.
Good stuff.