Things to Do List
I know, I know, resolutions are tedious this time of year. Some years I've laughed them off cynically -- "ah, look at how full the gym is this month--where will these folks be in June, huh? Huh?" -- but this year for some reason I'm finding the *idea of* having resolutions intriguing. I like Jay Are's idea of two different kinds of resolutions. But what to do when you have so many things to work on? A few things, in no particular order:
--Exercise.
--Stay in front of my reading habit so that I read good stuff instead of *only* mysteries (don't get me wrong--I have nothing against mysteries and I actually think they're one of the best genres out there right now. But we have a fanstastic library down the road from us; I can even order books online and have them waiting for me at the checkout desk. So there's no reason not to read more new fiction, more Booker prize winnters, etc. I have no aspirations to literary snobdom--just a desire to spend my precious reading hours in this life with things that stretch me, at least sometimes.)
--Buy and read a book of poetry. Yes, I'm a former English major, but I've never really read poetry for pleasure. But I think I'd like to--I admire people whose lives are enriched by poetry. And I want that too. Any ideas? I like Billy Collins (I know). A student of mine is really into Pablo Neruda. All suggestions are welcome.
--Write things that matter, even a little bit, both personally and professionally.
--Try to figure out how to care less about a messy house.
--Try to worry more about the things I can control (like my attitude towards those I love and towards others) and less about things I can't, but that seem to be seething barely below the surface of this country (like easy dismissals of others' plights).
Enough already.
--Exercise.
--Stay in front of my reading habit so that I read good stuff instead of *only* mysteries (don't get me wrong--I have nothing against mysteries and I actually think they're one of the best genres out there right now. But we have a fanstastic library down the road from us; I can even order books online and have them waiting for me at the checkout desk. So there's no reason not to read more new fiction, more Booker prize winnters, etc. I have no aspirations to literary snobdom--just a desire to spend my precious reading hours in this life with things that stretch me, at least sometimes.)
--Buy and read a book of poetry. Yes, I'm a former English major, but I've never really read poetry for pleasure. But I think I'd like to--I admire people whose lives are enriched by poetry. And I want that too. Any ideas? I like Billy Collins (I know). A student of mine is really into Pablo Neruda. All suggestions are welcome.
--Write things that matter, even a little bit, both personally and professionally.
--Try to figure out how to care less about a messy house.
--Try to worry more about the things I can control (like my attitude towards those I love and towards others) and less about things I can't, but that seem to be seething barely below the surface of this country (like easy dismissals of others' plights).
Enough already.
posted by Anonymous at 6:54 AM
4 Comments:
So do you resolve to dismiss others' plights more easily because you can't control them, or do you want to not stress about other people not stressing about other peoples' plights?
Because if it's number two, I've found you can make people start caring about things if you find a way to personalize things for them. For example, I do things like come up to strangers, shout "The Poor!" and then strike them on the head with a mallet. Very soon they start caring and I don't have to stress any more.
I'm not really sure what my point was.
The second is what I meant. I think. I think what I meant is that I don't want to feel quite so panicky and sad and troubled and generally roiled in the gut when others espouse views I find disturbing. I don't mean that I want to ignore those views, or not try to engage/discuss them, but that I want to try to be not so ... personally bothered.
But mostly I want to bonk all the mean field mice on the head.
A poet to consider: Li-Young Lee.
Maybe you should wear a helmet if you're ever around Bryan. Just in case.
Great resolutions, by the way.
Ohhh the last two were ones I really worked on last year...man it feels pretty good too. Good luck.
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