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Tuesday, January 1, 2008

New Year's tents


I've been thinking.  A dangerous pastime, you say.  But, nonetheless, it happens.  And it's happening to me.  And tonight, I am actually going to tell you what I am thinking about, and not get lost in the running and rising stream of consciousness that often jumps the banks and floods my writing. I am thinking of New Year's goals.  Isn't everyone?  After all, it is the very first day of the very first month of the very brand new year.  And it's nice to have a mark that says, "this is the beginning," (that kind of beginning would be a birthday, literally.) And it's also nice to have a mark that says, "let's start over," the kind of mark that today would be to anyone already arrived on earth.  And I love start overs, or fresh starts.  That's why I love moving (my dh thinks I'm crazy.) Yet, the beginning of a new adventure in a new place is extremely attractive to me.  My grandma would say "You gotta keep 'em building their tents," when my mom would wonder how to keep us kids from getting bored.  (You know, the kind of tents that put the broom up on phone books and drapes sheets across the top for the roof.)  It's sort of manifest destiny. "Every living thing is under that necessity for continuous advancement."  
Okay, but back to the beginning:  with a beautiful fresh start, which I love having those, I am choosing to make my year's goals in short terms.  For example, this month, I am finishing my started projects.  And I am letting new ideas wait.  I will write them down, hold on to them, but they will wait patiently until all the old are cleaned up, finished up, used up, and put up.  This is my fresh start.  By clearing away all the old things, getting them done, like all my sewing that I've begun and never finished.  That's January.  I will have all my started sewing done by the end of January.  (See the purse, I did that tonight.  So far, so good!) And when February comes, it's on to a fresh new goal.  I don't know what that is yet, but that's alright. The beauty of my new year's goal is that it is to make a goal every month, and accomplish that goal in that month.  So, I have the flexibility to make adjustments and new pursuits without feeling like I let myself down for not accomplishing a long term goal.  I keep my advancements in short increments of time, so they are easier to measure.  And I feel like I am advancing at a faster pace.  Or at least continually advancing, moving on to new goals, new places, new tents, and new beginnings. And with those beautiful, progressive thoughts, I wish you a Happy New Beautiful Year.