Monday, January 01, 2007

Happy Frickin' New Year

2007. Well, well, well.

Is this a huge deal, or is it just another day? I'm leaning toward the "just another day."

New Year's Eve was pretty anticlimactic. We hung out, ate a bunch of snacks and watched crapass TV. When midnight rolled around, the little kids were asleep in bed, the teenagers were out with their friends, and the hubby and I were sitting out in the woodshop smoking, drinking champagne and watching more crapass TV. We watched the ball drop in Times Square, toasted the new year, and then went in the house to wait for the teenagers. Of course, our oldest son totally broke curfew as usual, waltzing in more than an hour late. I was livid. I think I finally fell asleep sometime after 3 AM to the sound of my husband snoring in my ear.

I do not make New Year's resolutions. I think making resolutions is just setting yourself up for disappointment and failure. I hear everyone making these grandiose plans and predictions for 2007, and I just shake my head. I mean, it's nice to plan, dream and scheme, but come on. Be reasonable. Do you really think it's feasible to believe that you will get a promotion, find the love of your life, take a month-long tropical vacation and cure cancer all in one frickin' year? And what will happen to you next New Year's Eve when you think back and realize that you didn't get to do any of that crap?

Maybe I just sound cynical. Well, good. I've actually spent the last couple of months working to cultivate my cynicism. The whole pie-in-the-sky, I-believe-I-can-fly thing just wasn't working out for me.

Here's the closest I will come to making a New Year's resolution: I will try to do what I need to do to be happy with myself and with my place in the world. I will try to be the kind of person other people want to be around. I will try not to make things worse or more difficult than they need to be.

Now, notice I said TRY. So, if on December 31st 2007 I am still generally unhappy with my life, I can still say mission accomplished as long as I made some kind of attempt to correct things over the previous 12 months. Yay me.

So... Happy New Year, and go with the flow.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Donna - I am not one to make New Year Resolutions, either, but in my case, I know that it is because I am too lazy to follow through on them. (Each year I tell myself that NOT being lazy is going to be what I change about myself - but, I find myself just getting LAZIER, instead.)

This past year I had a true revelation relative to this matter, in that I realized that disappointing myself (and sometimes, others) doesn't carry the weight that others disappointing me does... This was a sad 'aah ha' moment indeed. After much thought, I decided that I would make a promise, rather than a resolution - and this promise was made, and will be renewed and carried forth as I kneel at the foot of Christ - every single day in the year 2007.

What finally 'hit home' with me wasn't the fact that I am overly sensitive and, therefore, literally crushed when others disappoint me (I've know that mortal weakness for years!) - but, instead, it was the heartfelt understanding of how much I hurt others when I disappoint them. (45 years later - 'if the shoe fits....')

I know that it is impossible to go through life without being disappointed, or disappointing others - that's all just a part of being the fallen-beings that we are. I've learned, though, that when I begin each day at the foot of Christ - asking for the strength to get out of my lazy butt rut, He will lead me down the path of redemption, daily, and will fill me with the abilities necessary to be the kind of person He wishes for me to be. Keeping this promise, l will not only become more pleasing in His eyes but, (like you have stated you hope)I will be better equipped to be genuinely happy with myself, with my place in this world - and - to truly be the kind of person that other people want to call friend.

Well, I'll get off my box now - as I need to get on my knees. (Did you ever notice how much weight a promise holds?!) It's a GOOD thing! ;)

Happy New Year, Donna. May God's blessings be abundantly palpable to you throughout the year! Love, Sherry