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Monday, January 5, 2015

2015 New Year Resolutions




I love the beginning of January. It gives off a sparkly aura of space, the year ahead stretched out to infinity. It’s a day when you can legitimately, if legitimate is what you need, believe that you can relax, there’s plenty of time for everything. As for the notion of getting older, it’s a far away fantasy, it ain’t happening today. It’s going to be 2015 for a long, long time. Oh yes.

That figure rolling over again is months and months away. At the beginning of January a month seems like a very long time and you’ve got 12 of them for heaven’s sake!

Pause. OK 12 isn’t such a big number, better stick to 360 odd. Forget about the months; think about how many days you’ve got. Another Pause as imagination gets out of hand and an image of numbers running down faster than the speed of light intrudes very rudely. Probably best to forget about the numbers altogether. 

Alright, where was I? Ah yes, in fantasy land. It’s also a day when you can make yourself a bunch of promises and believe you’ll keep them. It’s all about faith, the beginning of January, yes I can! Yes I even want to!

Right. I roll up my metaphorical sleeves. Where should I start? Well, I discovered one thing I can’t do and get away with it, no matter what day of the year it is and that’s eat a yummy fluffy omelet for lunch then follow it up with a delicious cup of hot tea and an ecstatically orgasmic slab of dark creamy melt in your mouth chocolate. Hmm, my taste buds had a field day but my digestion didn’t. If you get my drift. Okay, so why not make that one of my New Year Resolutions?

Hmm. Maybe I should just give up eggs. They’re kind of prosaic, and no matter how good my omelet is it doesn’t really melt in my mouth or stimulate my imagination, and I’m a writer, so I have to take that into account. My career is a serious business.

Ha! You see, the beginning of January is a very special time, a time when creative thinking comes into its own.

But as quickly as it came it went. I sit and stare at the screen, suddenly bereft of words. Rather wish I hadn’t finished that slab. Then I slap my forehead! I bought two yesterday.

Actually I bought four. Ah well. In for a penny in for a pound. Definitely not having an omelet for supper. Definitely going to start running tomorrow. Or the next day. Or next week or next month. Or if I find I’m too busy – being creative, you know – I can do it next year. Next year’s just around the corner.

No, I haven’t been drinking champagne, I promise. Are you kidding? Champagne, omelets, hot tea and dark chocolate? Even I’m not that nuts.

Champagne, indigestion and silliness aside, I only have one New Year’s Resolution. Some time ago I watched an old episode of Grey’s Anatomy where the character Meredith said:

“Benjamin Franklin said never put off till tomorrow what you can complete today. But the thing is, we have to sweep today’s possibilities under tomorrow’s rug until we can’t any more, until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin meant.

That waking is better than sleeping. That knowing is better than wondering. And even the worst failure, the most intractable mistake beats the hell out of never trying.”

It’s true. Well, it’s true for me. Nothing is worse than the mind-numbing, heart deadening, soul freezing limbo of doing nothing. So my resolution is to make this a year of action and fly in the face of fear of flying. Oh hang on, I’ve got another - resolution, I mean; carry on eating yummy smooth melt in your mouth dark chocolate - because it’s good for you and feeling good when you eat it is very good for you - just not in combination with omelets.