You Say You Want a Resolution

The Beatles sang something close to that title many years ago. I’m pretty sure that on some New Year’s Day in the past, Ringo resolved to live longer than Keith Richards. So far, so good. Ringo looks great at age 83 (older than Keef!), and I read he credits eating broccoli with every meal as part of his vegan diet. That’s not a bad resolution for me in 2024. I think that will be what I call a soft resolution which means my efforts toward that resolution will be sporadic, random, and uninspired.

But I do have some resolutions that I hope I can stick to throughout 2024 and beyond.

First, I resolve to relaunch my writing “career.” Hey, I’ve blogged twice in as many days in 2024. But my real focus will be my short stories and a novel that has been in-process forever. However, just to mix things up, I submitted a poem today to a humorous poetry contest. My editor/cousin/godmother and I agree that we don’t love it, but we also don’t dislike it. I’m hoping the judges “get it” and equate some clever writing with humor. Despite writing in my previous blog post that my poem would be about my OCD, it is not. However, it does feature nuns, E.E. Cummings (against his better judgment), and the challenges of writing poetry, which I find difficult.

I also want to experience something new, interesting, or unique every week, and I’ll blog about it. It could be some new music, a concert, nature, movie, or even a good book. For example, today I swam some laps. Nothing unusual about that. But my wife checked with me before I went to verify I was swimming indoors and not outdoors somewhere in January which definitely would be new, interesting and unique. Polar plunge, anyone?

I did kayak yesterday. I have never attempted a January kayak before, but I have heated gloves now.

I feel a bit like Ironman when I power up the gloves to green, blue, or red level if I feel daring.

I think the red level triggers a small nuclear reaction utilizing the uranium dust sewn into the lining of the gloves. Anyway, that probably counts as a new experience for me. Even better, I discovered a tunnel leading to the river with a handrail that is begging to be explored. Yes, it is sort of fenced off with some big rocks in front, but I think it deserves a look. The fencing only appears to me to be a suggestion to stay out.

In addition, submitting a poem to a poetry contest is something I have never done before, and possibly will never do again. That’s 2 new experiences for me, and the week’s still young. Sky diving, anyone?