{"id":11869,"date":"2014-01-08T15:00:49","date_gmt":"2014-01-08T21:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.flovalleynews.com\/?p=11869"},"modified":"2014-01-08T15:00:49","modified_gmt":"2014-01-08T21:00:49","slug":"no-new-years-resolution-again-this-year-but-some-frivolous-pursuits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/flovalleynews.com\/?p=11869","title":{"rendered":"No New Year\u2019s Resolution Again This Year, But Some \u2018Frivolous Pursuits\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\"Tom<\/a>A Boomer’s Journal<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

By Tom Anselm<\/strong><\/p>\n

The new year is upon us, ready or not.\u00a0 And for many, it offers a natural opportunity to make new starts. Everywhere you look,\u00a0 you see the sayings and platitudes:<\/p>\n

“Today is the first day of the rest of your life. The past is history, the future a mystery, today is a gift\u2026 that’s why we call it The Present. Live for Today, and let Tomorrow take care of itself.”\u00a0\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Therefore, I plan to do the same for 2014.<\/p>\n

But that isn’t entirely fair in the truest sense.\u00a0 I do plan to do\u00a0some 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.<\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I would like to play my guitar more. I’ve\u00a0had a nice acoustic for nearly 30 years, and sometimes go months without picking it up.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 So there’s that.<\/p>\n

Another change is going to be in my golf game.\u00a0 Simply put, I would really like to play a heck of a lot more.\u00a0 I may not get any better, but I will have more fun with it.\u00a0 And now that my grandkids have been bitten by the bug, I will be hauling them out as well.\u00a0 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.<\/p>\n

Still, these really don’t qualify as\u00a0resolutions, so my earlier pledge will stay intact.\u00a0 Let’s just tuck them under the heading of ‘frivolous pursuits’, especially in the grand scheme of things.<\/p>\n

Now, to borrow that great line from every info-mercial ever run\u2026 “But wait! There’s more!”\u00a0 After much thought, I have determined that I have some quite significant things to work on in the coming months.<\/p>\n

I’m thinking of the virtue of generosity, of\u00a0my time, and attention.\u00a0 Of being\u00a0 on the look-out for those daily opportunities to be selfless, rather than selfish.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Hugging\u00a0 more, smiling more, finding the joy more.\u00a0 Complaining less, worrying less.\u00a0 And Loving more.<\/p>\n

Of course,\u00a0 these ideas are not original.\u00a0 A tall Jewish guy\u00a0 stood on a hill a few thousand years ago and threw them out there for all of mankind\u00a0 to embrace.\u00a0 I’m just hoping to follow his lead.<\/p>\n

So, resolutions?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Not really.\u00a0 Just the stuff of life I need to get better at.\u00a0 Still, if by happy accident\u00a0 the old golf game gets an uptick, I will\u00a0 accept that bonus with the greatest humility.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Boomer’s Journal By Tom Anselm The new year is upon us, ready or not.\u00a0 And for many, it offers a natural opportunity to make new starts. Everywhere you look,\u00a0 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, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ocean_post_layout":"","ocean_both_sidebars_style":"","ocean_both_sidebars_content_width":0,"ocean_both_sidebars_sidebars_width":0,"ocean_sidebar":"","ocean_second_sidebar":"","ocean_disable_margins":"enable","ocean_add_body_class":"","ocean_shortcode_before_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_after_top_bar":"","ocean_shortcode_before_header":"","ocean_shortcode_after_header":"","ocean_has_shortcode":"","ocean_shortcode_after_title":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_widgets":"","ocean_shortcode_before_footer_bottom":"","ocean_shortcode_after_footer_bottom":"","ocean_display_top_bar":"default","ocean_display_header":"default","ocean_header_style":"","ocean_center_header_left_menu":"","ocean_custom_header_template":"","ocean_custom_logo":0,"ocean_custom_retina_logo":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_width":0,"ocean_custom_logo_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_tablet_max_height":0,"ocean_custom_logo_mobile_max_height":0,"ocean_header_custom_menu":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_family":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_subset":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_size":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_font_size_unit":"px","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_font_weight_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_tablet":"","ocean_menu_typo_transform_mobile":"","ocean_menu_typo_line_height":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_line_height_unit":"","ocean_menu_typo_spacing":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_tablet":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_mobile":0,"ocean_menu_typo_spacing_unit":"","ocean_menu_link_color":"","ocean_menu_link_color_hover":"","ocean_menu_link_color_active":"","ocean_menu_link_background":"","ocean_menu_link_hover_background":"","ocean_menu_link_active_background":"","ocean_menu_social_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_bg":"","ocean_menu_social_links_color":"","ocean_menu_social_hover_links_color":"","ocean_disable_title":"default","ocean_disable_heading":"default","ocean_post_title":"","ocean_post_subheading":"","ocean_post_title_style":"","ocean_post_title_background_color":"","ocean_post_title_background":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_image_position":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_attachment":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_repeat":"","ocean_post_title_bg_image_size":"","ocean_post_title_height":0,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay":0.5,"ocean_post_title_bg_overlay_color":"","ocean_disable_breadcrumbs":"default","ocean_breadcrumbs_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_separator_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_color":"","ocean_breadcrumbs_links_hover_color":"","ocean_display_footer_widgets":"default","ocean_display_footer_bottom":"default","ocean_custom_footer_template":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"ocean_post_oembed":"","ocean_post_self_hosted_media":"","ocean_post_video_embed":"","ocean_link_format":"","ocean_link_format_target":"self","ocean_quote_format":"","ocean_quote_format_link":"post","ocean_gallery_link_images":"on","ocean_gallery_id":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11869","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columnists","entry"],"yoast_head":"\nNo New Year\u2019s Resolution Again This Year, But Some \u2018Frivolous Pursuits\u2019 - flovalleynews.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/flovalleynews.com\/?p=11869\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"No New Year\u2019s Resolution Again This Year, But Some \u2018Frivolous Pursuits\u2019 - flovalleynews.com\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A Boomer’s Journal By Tom Anselm The new year is upon us, ready or not.\u00a0 And for many, it offers a natural opportunity to make new starts. 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