I hope you won't be disappointed, but after yesterday morning's surgical and culinary activity, there were no further larger-than-life exploits to report. Unless of course you count the ingestion of impressive amounts of very rich food to celebrate the passing of the year (which is threatening to make some of us larger than life), but that is hardly an uncommon occurrence in this house.
Which brings me nicely to the subject of New Year resolutions. Don't worry, I am not going to bore you by listing mine here. In fact, were I to have made such resolutions, I would not be too keen to shout about them on my blog: the last thing I want is to record publicly not only my current weaknesses, few as they may be, but my subsequent inability to amend them. You might say I am being a bit negative, but who am I to go against years of accumulated experience by would-be self-improvers all over the world?
The whole concept of New Year resolutions seems a bit strange to me. Does that day have some magical power to increase people's strength of will? Because on this occasion, they hope to achieve not just one, but most of the changes that have resisted their efforts the year before. If you absolutely have to be a better person, I don't see why it has to start on a calendar year. Nor should it necessarily be all in one go: not only does it seem more manageable to tackle your bad habits one at a time, but you should leave those around you some time to adapt to the new improved you!
But hey, what do I know? My own record in the field of self-improvement is best described as, err, patchy. So, maybe you can come back a year from now, and rub my nose (figuratively) in your slim waist, your stone-hard abs and your smoke-free breath. I will still have the last laugh, though. Because then, what resolutions can you possibly make for the following year?
Well, whether this year is one of relentless self-improvement, or just enough effort not to actually become a worse person, I hope it is your best so far.
Which brings me nicely to the subject of New Year resolutions. Don't worry, I am not going to bore you by listing mine here. In fact, were I to have made such resolutions, I would not be too keen to shout about them on my blog: the last thing I want is to record publicly not only my current weaknesses, few as they may be, but my subsequent inability to amend them. You might say I am being a bit negative, but who am I to go against years of accumulated experience by would-be self-improvers all over the world?
The whole concept of New Year resolutions seems a bit strange to me. Does that day have some magical power to increase people's strength of will? Because on this occasion, they hope to achieve not just one, but most of the changes that have resisted their efforts the year before. If you absolutely have to be a better person, I don't see why it has to start on a calendar year. Nor should it necessarily be all in one go: not only does it seem more manageable to tackle your bad habits one at a time, but you should leave those around you some time to adapt to the new improved you!
But hey, what do I know? My own record in the field of self-improvement is best described as, err, patchy. So, maybe you can come back a year from now, and rub my nose (figuratively) in your slim waist, your stone-hard abs and your smoke-free breath. I will still have the last laugh, though. Because then, what resolutions can you possibly make for the following year?
Well, whether this year is one of relentless self-improvement, or just enough effort not to actually become a worse person, I hope it is your best so far.
© Bill Watterson
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