Blog

A Boomer’s Journal

By Tom Anselm

The new year is upon us, ready or not.  And for many, it offers a natural opportunity to make new starts. Everywhere you look,  you see the sayings and platitudes:

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life. The past is history, the future a mystery, today is a gift… that’s why we call it The Present. Live for Today, and let Tomorrow take care of itself.”   All okay stuff to think about, but somewhat trite. Now, I did a pretty good job of keeping my resolution from last year, which was that I resolved not to make any new year’s resolutions.  Therefore, I plan to do the same for 2014.

But that isn’t entirely fair in the truest sense.  I do plan to do some things differently. I have revised my thinking on getting that tattoo sporting “JILL” on my right bicep. No, really. I did have that as something I was going to do, in honor of my love for the gal who saved me from myself many a-year ago.

But I am a big baby when it comes to pain, and doncha know I’d be the guy who would go into anaphylactic shock from the ink. So, I’ll just keep using that fine-point black Sharpie to display my fidelity.

I would like to play my guitar more. I’ve had a nice acoustic for nearly 30 years, and sometimes go months without picking it up.  I have no talent, but at least I can do chords, sometimes even four or five in a row, and with some semblance of melody.  So there’s that.

Another change is going to be in my golf game.  Simply put, I would really like to play a heck of a lot more.  I may not get any better, but I will have more fun with it.  And now that my grandkids have been bitten by the bug, I will be hauling them out as well.  Included in this is an offer to anyone who would like to knock it around someday. Give me a call. Once the weather breaks if it ever does, I am there like froghair.

Still, these really don’t qualify as resolutions, so my earlier pledge will stay intact.  Let’s just tuck them under the heading of ‘frivolous pursuits’, especially in the grand scheme of things.

Now, to borrow that great line from every info-mercial ever run… “But wait! There’s more!”  After much thought, I have determined that I have some quite significant things to work on in the coming months.

I’m thinking of the virtue of generosity, of my time, and attention.  Of being  on the look-out for those daily opportunities to be selfless, rather than selfish.  Spending less time promoting myself and more time pushing causes and charities that make concrete changes in people’s lives. Working on more prayer, more sacrifice.  Hugging  more, smiling more, finding the joy more.  Complaining less, worrying less.  And Loving more.

Of course,  these ideas are not original.  A tall Jewish guy  stood on a hill a few thousand years ago and threw them out there for all of mankind  to embrace.  I’m just hoping to follow his lead.

So, resolutions?    Not really.  Just the stuff of life I need to get better at.  Still, if by happy accident  the old golf game gets an uptick, I will  accept that bonus with the greatest humility.