In the past few weeks I’ve been in the midst of numerous conversations where the “What’s your New Years Resolution?” question has been the topic of discussion. I’ve listened to people talk about the things they would like to change about themselves and their lives. This is an activity that I myself have been a part of for a good ten years thinking of the annual checklist of things to rectify in the coming year.
Which brings me to a question? Do teenagers have new years resolutions? I don’t remember having these conversations in high school? I’m pretty sure you officially hit resolution territory when you get to your twenties …. But anyway I’m getting off track (which I tend to do quite frequently)….
About half way through this year I had an epiphany brought about by reading two blogs one written by a good friend and another by a complete stranger and was crystallized in a wonderfully drunken evening that followed with many other friends. These are of course when most epiphanies seem to occur. I am still waiting for a sober epiphany.
Here are the link to those blogs:
http://sherdieinbrisvegas.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
and
http://pantsofdeath.blogspot.com/2007/04/there-i-was-walking-to-shop-to-get.html
My friend’s blog talked about the “before” photo a girl at work had shown her. It had been taken by her gym with a view to the “after” photo being the taut, toned and terrific version of her. She told me about the flash of self-loathing she thought she saw in that girl’s eyes when showing the picture of the person she wanted to leave behind.
Her blog talked about the future self. The fabulous future self. The self that lives inside our head that has a photographic image of the shinier, non-procrastinating, socially graceful person we will one day be. Frankly, I can’t think I’ve anybody I’ve loved or liked who is anything like that future self. I love spending time with warm, funny people with tendencies towards swearing, drinking, and a love of carbohydrates. In fact if I met someone like that future self they’d probably bug, intimidate and bore the hell out of me. I like people a little rough around the edges. We all agreed in that drunken evening out that our present selves were pretty fucking awesome*.
Anyway, back to my epiphany I resolved to not go through the process of making mental checklists of the things in my life that I’m not happy with. To focus on what is good in my life and what I value in myself and other people. Oh crap, I think I just made a resolution!
* By the end of the evening our awesomeness had reached epic proportions that hopefully our future selves will be able to live up to.
Which brings me to a question? Do teenagers have new years resolutions? I don’t remember having these conversations in high school? I’m pretty sure you officially hit resolution territory when you get to your twenties …. But anyway I’m getting off track (which I tend to do quite frequently)….
About half way through this year I had an epiphany brought about by reading two blogs one written by a good friend and another by a complete stranger and was crystallized in a wonderfully drunken evening that followed with many other friends. These are of course when most epiphanies seem to occur. I am still waiting for a sober epiphany.
Here are the link to those blogs:
http://sherdieinbrisvegas.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
and
http://pantsofdeath.blogspot.com/2007/04/there-i-was-walking-to-shop-to-get.html
My friend’s blog talked about the “before” photo a girl at work had shown her. It had been taken by her gym with a view to the “after” photo being the taut, toned and terrific version of her. She told me about the flash of self-loathing she thought she saw in that girl’s eyes when showing the picture of the person she wanted to leave behind.
Her blog talked about the future self. The fabulous future self. The self that lives inside our head that has a photographic image of the shinier, non-procrastinating, socially graceful person we will one day be. Frankly, I can’t think I’ve anybody I’ve loved or liked who is anything like that future self. I love spending time with warm, funny people with tendencies towards swearing, drinking, and a love of carbohydrates. In fact if I met someone like that future self they’d probably bug, intimidate and bore the hell out of me. I like people a little rough around the edges. We all agreed in that drunken evening out that our present selves were pretty fucking awesome*.
Anyway, back to my epiphany I resolved to not go through the process of making mental checklists of the things in my life that I’m not happy with. To focus on what is good in my life and what I value in myself and other people. Oh crap, I think I just made a resolution!
* By the end of the evening our awesomeness had reached epic proportions that hopefully our future selves will be able to live up to.
No comments:
Post a Comment