I know, what a silly thing: New Year's resolutions. Does anyone take them seriously?
I do, I suppose, although I always leave mine purposely vague. Some people may resolve to quit smoking or lose 10 lbs, but these are too concrete: by the end of the year, you can measure whether you have quit smoking (are you still buying cigarettes? If yes: then no.) or if you've lost 10 lbs (step on a scale). If you pick something blurry, like "Be nicer to puppies" or "Dance less foolishly at wedding receptions," the result is subject to interpretation, and on December 31 you can choose to congratulate yourself for a job well done, or not.
I do, I suppose, although I always leave mine purposely vague. Some people may resolve to quit smoking or lose 10 lbs, but these are too concrete: by the end of the year, you can measure whether you have quit smoking (are you still buying cigarettes? If yes: then no.) or if you've lost 10 lbs (step on a scale). If you pick something blurry, like "Be nicer to puppies" or "Dance less foolishly at wedding receptions," the result is subject to interpretation, and on December 31 you can choose to congratulate yourself for a job well done, or not.
For 2010, my resolution was to try new things. In my opinion, this is the best possible resolution, because you get to pat yourself on the back all year for doing basically nothing.
- Accidently ate a piece of unknown cheese? Tried something new (maybe)!*
- Bought a sweather that looks questionable with your skin tone? Remembering why you never buy anything coral, but tried something new!**
- Locked your keys in your house and had to climb back in through your kitchen window by standing on an upside-down trash can while hoping the neighbors didn't call the cops? Also new!**
- Got a 68 on a Chemistry exam? Unpleasant, but new!**
- Lived with 7 cats? Not socially acceptable -- still new!**
* [True story.]
** [Also true.]
At the junction of 2010/2011, I was 6 months pregnant and pretty much just wanted to survive the last trimester, so I didn't really have a New Year's resolution. Though I did survive those final 3 months, so: success!
For 2012, I've decided on a slightly more concrete resolution, but only slightly. I'm resolving to be a better housekeeper. It came to me today, when I picked up the broom for the first time in what seems like --- months? (embarrassing) --- and swept up an entire cat worth of hair from the living room. Because really, there is just no way I could be worse in 2012. It used to be kind of funny, like "Haha, look at her socks everywhere, she's like the anti-Carol Brady," but now it's just sad: "Why are her socks still hanging from the ceiling fan? They were up there the last time I visited... 6 months ago..."
Which probably explains why we don't have many visitors.
Or maybe we have had more visitors, but they've become lost among the dead moths, baby bibs, half-chewed mice and shoes that no longer fit.
Welp. I still have another 3 weeks before I have to worry about that.
---
[This post is Part 1 in a series of December Reflections] <--- sounds deep but will probably just be silly. Who can tell, really?
- Accidently ate a piece of unknown cheese? Tried something new (maybe)!*
- Bought a sweather that looks questionable with your skin tone? Remembering why you never buy anything coral, but tried something new!**
- Locked your keys in your house and had to climb back in through your kitchen window by standing on an upside-down trash can while hoping the neighbors didn't call the cops? Also new!**
- Got a 68 on a Chemistry exam? Unpleasant, but new!**
- Lived with 7 cats? Not socially acceptable -- still new!**
* [True story.]
** [Also true.]
At the junction of 2010/2011, I was 6 months pregnant and pretty much just wanted to survive the last trimester, so I didn't really have a New Year's resolution. Though I did survive those final 3 months, so: success!
For 2012, I've decided on a slightly more concrete resolution, but only slightly. I'm resolving to be a better housekeeper. It came to me today, when I picked up the broom for the first time in what seems like --- months? (embarrassing) --- and swept up an entire cat worth of hair from the living room. Because really, there is just no way I could be worse in 2012. It used to be kind of funny, like "Haha, look at her socks everywhere, she's like the anti-Carol Brady," but now it's just sad: "Why are her socks still hanging from the ceiling fan? They were up there the last time I visited... 6 months ago..."
Which probably explains why we don't have many visitors.
Or maybe we have had more visitors, but they've become lost among the dead moths, baby bibs, half-chewed mice and shoes that no longer fit.
Welp. I still have another 3 weeks before I have to worry about that.
---
[This post is Part 1 in a series of December Reflections] <--- sounds deep but will probably just be silly. Who can tell, really?
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