About New Years

Every year since I was 12, I have babysat on New Years - it's the most lucrative night of the year. This year, I decided to have fun instead. After all, Im in college and all that - prime party years, yes? Well, basically it was AWFUL. Couldn't have possibly been worse. I won't go into the details because there is no reason to dwell on it, but it did get me thinking

why resolutions? Everyone generally acknowleges that New Years resolutions are sort of stupid, and yet people make them anyways. Is this because we like to fail? do we feel obligated to assess our lives and find the holes to fill? or is it simply a way to convince ourselves that we are not static, that we have the ability to change our lives and/or ourselves?

Most of them are impossible to achieve because they state something like "lose 20 lbs." Well, besides that people have trouble losing weight, when you convince yourself that you have an entire year to do something, procrastination is very attractive. By the time you would convince yourself you actually did need to start doing something about the resolution, you've forgotten it.

Also, they are not fun. People don't ever think "gee, I never have gone to Paris. My new year's resolution is to finally go." No no. That's self-indulgent, which is apparently NOT a New Year's value. We are supposed to find things we dislike about ourselves and change them. I will stop biting my nails, I will find a guy who isn't a jerk, I will do my homework regularly, etc. I heard about this book that some woman wrote called The Year of Yes where she resolved to say yes to every proposition she heard - work ventures, dates, family obligations, whatever. She went on a TON of dates and ended up marrying someone she never would have gone out with before. Anyways, that type of thing is interesting, but most of us can't do it. So I propose something smaller, but equally fun. 12 resolutions, grouped into months to avoid long-term burnout, that have nothing to do with "fixing" anything. Here are mine - don't laugh:

January: Celebrate my Half-Birthday. Because my b-day is in the summer, it is never really acknowleged by friends. This year, Im demanding 1/2b-day acknowlegement!!
February: Acknowledge the dreaded V-Day. I hate it on principle, but Ive never given it a real chance. I want to go out, buy people candy, and wear pink to see if I could actually like it
March: spend ALL day at the movies, seeing one picture after another. I have always wanted to do this, but have never found anyone to do it with me. If no one bites, Ill go alone
April: Kiss in the rain. A common fantasy that is over-played in movies, but I want to dance and play and kiss in the rain. Takers?
May: Pick wildflowers all for myself
June: Fun summer haircut - something dramatic. I have months to decide what it will be, but it MUST be done
July: Go to the beach - I never ever get to go to the beach but I am determined to do it at some point - i will even pretend to enjoy salt water and sand.
August: buy $200 designer jeans - i want them, i can't afford them, but I will be rich from working all summer and sick of living in my bathing suit.
September: Go to a party, any party, where I know absolutely no one and see if I can make friends
October: Make the best NON-slut Halloween costume in the world so even if Franklin sucks, I still feel special
November: Host a pajama party a la third grade. Who doesn't miss those?
December: Buy a really super, ultra-expensive gift for someone but give it to them anonymously so they don't feel obligated to reciprocate. Thank you, online delivery!

write your own and post them under comments. I promise it'll be fun!