Resolutions all around

I admit. I’m one of those hapless folk who make New Year’s resolutions in the best of good faith, only to have them crash and burn before the year is half-way gone. I even write them down, which is supposed to help, but forgetting to check the list makes it kind of useless.

Well intentioned as you may be if you follow your list, when even the most determined resolutions collide with even the flimsiest of excuses, they are doomed.

Don’t have time. Forgot. Something more important came up. Priorities changed. Circumstances changed. And that all-time favorite: No self-discipline.

Finish giving up smoking. Check. Remember to start . . . not quite finished with that.

Lose weight. Check. Maybe when spring comes and I can get rid of these heavy sweaters . . .

Set up and follow an exercise plan. Check. Got the bicycle, got a neat all-weather cover for it, now just waiting for warmer weather. But it’s there, parked just outside the door and ready to go.

Quit procrastinating (my editor will love this!). Check. The trick here, if you’re a person who works best under deadline, then obviously what you should do is set pre-deadline deadlines and respond to them. Of course, if you know they are artificial deadlines . . .

Quit obsessing about politics. No check. Ain’t gonna happen. As a consummate believer that every voice matters, and with that belief confirmed by recent events, I intend to keep on keeping on.

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To my way of thinking, loving politics is all tied in with love of country, of mankind, of history. Truth to tell, like some drug dealer I don’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to try it.

Paying close attention to politics, local or national or international, is all about caring. Caring about my town, my country, my world. And writing about politics doesn’t mean preaching a particular idea, though sometimes it may come across that way to folks who disagree with one point or another.

In fact, some of the most rewarding discussions are with those who differ, because the conversation that begins can be thought-provoking, eye-opening, and adrenalin-stirring – not unlike cranking up the truck radio out on a country road while Waylon Jennings belts out “Good-Hearted Woman.”

A reader recently challenged me on the idea of whether Barack Obama truly meant what he said about bringing “change” to Washington. That challenge forced me to define what I thought it meant, and we exchanged emails about it. One thing was clear from the discussion: We could find some areas of agreement and could agree that we disagreed about some others. I’m looking forward to more of our conversation.

I really love this stuff!

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We’re beginning a new year together and I hope you’ve made some New Year’s resolutions too, even if you suspect they may be doomed. It feels good just to make them. A New Year’s resolution is all about hope, and hope is the main thing we have going for us right now.

Keep those cards and letters coming in, and let’s have a conversation as we work our way through the troubles and into a future that I believe is bright.