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Feb. 27, 2005 I know it may seem childish to make New Years’ resolutions, as if there were something magical about that day, when, if we used a different calendar, what we call New Year’s Day would just be another prosaic, quotidian day. So far I’ve kept my New Years’ resolutions not only for year 2006, but also those I made in 1983 and 1987, both of which have been exceedingly beneficial, however artificial the routine and ritual of resolving. In 1983, I resolved to stop drinking alcoholic beverages of all kinds, and to this day I have lived up to it. Previously, I had made the same resolution several times, but each time, I did it with the intention of staying sober only until the holidays. So I would refrain from liquor from January 1 till Thanksgiving, and complimenting myself on my resolve, I would drink from Thanksgiving till January 1 of the following year. But this was not enough. Causing myself much shame because of some of the foolish things I did when I was drunk, and even getting into legal difficulties, whose nature I’d just as soon not mention, I eventually realized that absolute abstention was the only way for me. So in 1983 I made an unconditional resolution: not a drop of liquor, wine or beer ever again. No longer was it a matter of staying sober for 11 months out of 12; it was for good. And so far I’ve been lucky enough not to slip in these 23 years. I would not say that I am resisting temptation any longer though, for rarely does the thought even cross my mind nowadays. The ironic thing is that I didn’t much care for liquor anyway. The first few times I got tipsy or drunk, right after my 21st birthday, I got delightfully gay and giddy, laughing merrily and having a lot of fun. Later though, those merry feelings eluded me, try though I might to recapture them. So I’d just get drunk and fall out, or go out and act like an ass around the neighborhood. Then in 1987, I stopped smoking. It took quite a few tries between 1985 and 1987, perhaps 100 attempts to stop, which generally lasted from 2 hours to 2 weeks before the next lapse. Finally though, I made a New Year’s resolution in 1987, which I didn’t actually start living up to till January 9, but since that day, I haven’t had a single puff. The immediate prod was that someone insulted me very peevishly when I started coughing in close quarters one day, this coughing of course being due to smoking. So I just completed 19 years of non-smoking. Even if I should elect to start again, I certainly won’t have lost anything by refraining so long. But when I look at the price of a pack of cigarettes, I am not much tempted to buy one, though I still love the smell of tobacco. Last August, I started doing regular exercises, which is something that I’ve been very neglectful about over the years, particularly since I did lots of walking and bicycling, which I figured was enough. Now, instead, since my walking and cycling have become minimal, I do a variety of exercises that require about an hour and fifteen minutes a day, but I am always just a little disinclined to get going. Another matter is that I haven’t witnessed a tremendous amount of improvement. But I want to try it throughout the year before I judge on whether it is worth the trouble. So that was my resolution this year. So far so good. Since I actually started in August, I have 6 months in already. One thing is certain, and that is that exercise won't do me any harm. won’t do me any harm. ------------ About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far. I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents. Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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