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New
Year's resolutions. Blah.
We were trying to explain to our very cranky eight-year-old last night
that it might be a good idea for him to resolve not to be so cranky in
2005. "You know," My husband pleaded, "make a New Year's
Resolution." "What,"
my son asked (in a very cranky manner, might I add), "is a New
Year's Resolution?" "A
New Year's Resolution," I chimed in, "is where you kind of
make a promise to yourself, only out loud, to do something different in
the new year. Something better. Like," I went on, "last
year I resolved to try to eat better." "But
you ate just as much candy and cookies and chips and dip as ever last
year." My son interjected. "Maybe more." "You
did." My husband said, "I think you just upped the exercise so
you could eat more of that junk." "The
point is," I was testy now, "not whether or not I actually
ACHIEVED my New Year's Resolution; I am just trying to explain the
CONCEPT here." "But
if you don't DO anything different," my son asked, "What is
the USE of making a New Year's Resolution?" "Well,
you don't go into it thinking you are going to fail." I explained.
"You just go into it thinking that this year I'll do so and so
differently and it will make my life better and also others around
me." "Maybe,"
My husband said, "You could try again, and resolve not to eat QUITE
as much junk food." I think he was thinking of the backlash of my
bad habits which is that some percentage of the junk food that makes its
way into the home inadvertently makes its way into his stomach; he
without the time to work it off as I have had to do. "I
was kind of thinking of a different resolution this year." I said.
"I am not sure I can stick to the no or even less junk food
goal. And anyway, " I snapped (I was getting very irritated
thinking of a life with less of the great and greasy, sweet junky food I
crave), "we weren't talking about MY resolutions here, we were
talking about yours." I poked my son. "And how you should try
to stop being cranky." This
made him even crankier than ever. He was, in fact, so cranky that he was
for a few moments speechless. "I AM NOT CRANKY!" He cranked. My
husband deals better with the little crank than I do, so he gently
interjected, "Maybe you could just think about it and try to be a
little more easy going sometimes; not all the time," he hastened to
add, when he saw my son's eyes narrowing, "but just sometimes. You
know, just strive to be a better person." "New
Year's Resolutions are STUPID!" My son announced; fed up with the
notion of any change for the better. "I am NOT going to make ANY
New Year's Resolutions!" I
guess that was kind of a resolution of its own: a resolve not to change
at all is kind of a bold (and stubborn) statement. Still,
I see his point. I have broken more New Year's Resolutions before the
first week of the new year has even begun than I can even list on this
page. There was the "I'll be better with money." Resolution,
which lasted until the first big sale at Target. Then there was the
"I'll cook wholesome and healthy meals, every night for my
family" Resolution, which lasted until I realized that meant I had
to go to the store, buy the food, prepare it, wash up all the dishes
EVERY SINGLE NIGHT FOR INFINITY...... and that pizza is so easy to
order. The "I won't scream at my kids" Resolution lasted
probably the shortest amount of time of all, mainly because I think I
had also resolved my annual "Not so much junk food this year"
promise which left me crankier even than my cranky son who I am begging
to resolve to pull that mood in a notch. Resolutions.
Blah. Change is just a hard concept to embrace, especially when it means
giving up or adapting in a painful way. I haven't decided yet whether or
not I'll try again to curb the massive junk eating I do; I haven't
exactly been successful in the past and one thing that growing older has
taught me is that people (especially I) never change. I am hopeful,
however, that my eight year old has not become as jaded as I, and that
he may resolve to be less cranky in 2005. After all, there may still be
hope for future generations.
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