A Resolution

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     I realize it’s almost March but I have something to say about New Years resolutions. I love them! Who cares if statistically people don’t carry them out, I love the hope. The hope for a change, the plan to redirect or pivot and even when it doesn’t fully work the way you think it will, something happens. I’ve learned through the years (and therapy) that I have a tendency to go full throttle when I want to do or learn something. Age has taught me the art of a good pace. I didn’t teach myself how to cook by reaching to the Mount Everest of recipes, I started with a pot of beans. The year I decided to read 50 of the best books of the 20th century, I challenged myself to read a chapter a day. Rome wasn’t built in a day and the rail roads all started with one nail. There was no possible way I could set goals in January. I was still in a depressive fog that meant I couldn’t see further than my day but now I’m feeling a little lighter and way more hopeful. 

    During the pandemic I said to myself and everyone around me (literally just my husband) that I would not leave this year without learning something. I did not want to say 2020 was a waste and although it was a mess it was not a total waste. This year I am going to attempt and accomplish these 5 goals; 


  1. Cook recipes from a specific country each month. 
  2. Read and research a different faith or history that relates to my cooking country. 
  3. Read 52 books, focusing on the classics and books written by people of color. 
  4. Relearn how to play the violin. A skill I lost in middle school. 
  5. Continue learning French. Something I started last year but it takes time.  


    For me, accountability is accounting it for others. I'm at my best when I'm reporting what I've seen and what I'm learning. I’m not expecting any of these to be easy or that I’m going to magically speak French to you while leading a symphony after my five course Japanese meal, but I want to try. Lately we’ve grown cynical towards trying or try-hards, but I think it’s something to celebrate and applaud. As much as my husband tells me 38 is not Middle-aged, it feels like it is and I don’t want to waste any more time. I think crowding out my life with fun self-driven adventures and challenges is the way to go for the back half of my life. 


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