It’s popular this time of year to make profound personal pledges – more commonly known as resolutions – to self and significant others as a way to set a corrective course for the upcoming 12 months. Whatever. I’ve learned through first-hand from experience that the sad majority of these resolutions are all too often ignored, diluted, broken or otherwise abandoned by the time the Martin Luther King holiday rolls around in mid-January, if not sooner.
While I wouldn’t call what follows resolutions, per se, it still seemed like a good idea to start out the New Year with a few – well, let’s just call them “notes” to myself. For example:
Next year, I’ll take official power outage notices from Edison with a grain of salt. In the two weeks before Christmas, we were notified on at least four separate occasions (via robocalls, through the mail or with notices left on our door) that we would be without power on a specific upcoming day any time between 8 am and 7 pm. As someone who works from a home office bristling with computers, fax machines, scanners, printers, wireless routers and other technology, it takes a whole lot of planning and inconvenience to prepare to continue working without power or an internet connection. And so, four different days I made the many necessary, time-consuming arrangements, notified clients that I may be difficult to reach and have limited access to emails, etc. – only to have the entire day pass without even a flicker of our lights. Frustrating.
Speaking of lights, next year, I need to remind myself to shop for new Christmas lights and decorations in September. If I haven’t done it by Halloween, it’ll be too late.
Also, I really should play my guitars more. A lot more. And write songs. And sing. That said, this New Year I want the gift of music play a much, much bigger role in my everyday life. Hold me to that one, okay?
On the subject of music, singing and songwriting, next year I really need to write a song that becomes the soundtrack for every other TV commercial like “Home” by Phillip Phillips has been this year. So, yeah ... let’s make that happen.
Then again – I’d have more time for music if I didn’t watch the first hour of NBC’s Today show on weekday mornings. The morning yak-fest is worse for my blood pressure than an entire 12-cup pot of dark roast. I’d love to have a word with the NBC execs who think it’s hip to have a minimum of five or more people on camera at once with each one clamoring to talk louder than the other until no story can be enjoyed, much less understood. And can we please put an end to this silly fad of having the show’s talent stand next to a big touch screen monitor and swiping images during a story?
Looking ahead to next December, I’m going to try not to walk around singing “Baby, It’s Cold Outside.” I recently paid attention to the actual lyrics and it seriously creeped me out. The writer, Frank Loesser, didn’t include a reference to roofies in any of the lyrics, but he could have. He did, in fact, list the male singer as “wolf” and the female part as “mouse” on the original sheet music for this 1944 ditty, thus raising the creep-factor even higher.
Over the next 12 months I will try my best to Tweet on at least a somewhat-regular basis. Because Lord knows I need to spend more of every day staring down at a glowing screen.
He also knows I need to get back to memorizing scripture – one verse a week – something I did religiously (sorry, just too easy) the first half of last year, but somehow stopped as life got busier.
And finally, I hope that – this year more than ever – I’ll see you ‘round town.
Since the Mayan calendar makers were prophetically dead wrong about 2012 (the Republican National Committee and conservative talk radio blew the call too, but I have no desire to pick at that scab), it seems as though we’ve all been given the blank slate of a new year on which to write.
That being the case, we might as well look ahead to things we’d like to do differently over the next 12 months. In other words, it’s time for resolutions. I’ve seen research showing that only 8% of people actually follow through with their New Year’s Resolutions. I resolve to be in that number. No, really. And in case you’re curious, here are but a few of my other resolutions for 2013:
I resolve to learn how to tweet. But not to tweet like a twit. And to tweet only when necessary – which, I have a strong suspicion, will be almost never. But in case you’re so inclined, feel free to tweet yours twuly at #JAlanChase.
I resolve to never again think that anyone’s opinion will be changed even the slightest by a Facebook post. Reasoned debate is rare among the social network’s millions of users – or even informed discussion, for that matter.
I resolve to memorize at least one verse of scripture each week this year. I’ve tried other techniques to memorize Bible passages before, but the past Father’s Day my son gave me a wonderful daily devotional that has inspired me to learn a new verse each week since then. Such profound joy, comfort and wisdom can be found in those sacred pages, indeed.
I resolve to play my guitar(s) much, much more than I have for far too many years now. Oh, and to get back to writing songs.
I resolve to continue my streak of having not watched a single episode of “Housewives of (fill in the city of your choice here)” or “the X Factor.”
Which reminds me to resolve to never watch even a single minute more of “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo.” This shameless train wreck of a show is depressingly sad on so many levels. Speaking of which, I also resolve not to waste a minute of my life watching any broadcast in which that buffoonish British blowhard, Piers Morgan, makes an appearance.
I resolve to lift more iron weights and less emotional ones.
I resolve to break tradition and buy those illusive replacement Christmas light bulbs and/or extra strings of lighting when OSH, and Home Depot and Do-It Center still have them stock – between July 4th and Labor Day.
I resolve to take longer hikes to higher places and take more time to enjoy the views when I arrive.
I resolve to NOT make more than $250k this year so my government doesn’t demonize me as a millionaire or “wealthy.” (For the record, this could be the easiest resolution to keep of all time.)
Speaking of low incomes, I resolve to finally, at long last, write that novel that has been taking up space in my head for the past several years. And for good measure, I resolve to write a couple or three short stories, too, just to warm up. Or cool down.
I resolve to not to beat myself up too terribly when I’ve given up on some or all of the above resolutions by about ... oh, say ... Valentine’s Day.
Someone once said that an optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in, and a pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. I can relate to both of those sentiments, so I’m not sure what that makes me.
Finally, there’s one resolution I can already check off my list – to wish you all a happy and healthy New Year. In 2013, may your troubles disappear even sooner than your resolutions. I’ll see you ‘round town.
