Tag Archives: New years resolutions

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Quirky New Years Traditions

While driving around today I heard a radio program that talked about people’s wierd New Years traditions.  I didn’t get to hear very much of the show. but I did notice that ‘food’ seemed to be involved in many of the  New Years Eve/New Years Day rituals.  Towards the end of the program there seemed to have been a lot of talk about sauerkraut and pork.

This got me to thinking about a couple New Years Day traditions I recall from my own family.  My dad’s mother Georgia, who was originally from Mississippi, was quite the superstitious woman.  When I was a small lad and we walked downtown for instance, we couldn’t split any poles or anything like that.  And if I didn’t stay on her side of the sidewalk to ensure that didn’t happen, I could get into big trouble.

At least one of her New Years traditions that she was really adamant about was the fact that the first person to walk through the front door had to be a male.  Not sure why, but when I was 15 I had the pleasure of being whisked out the back door with instructions to quickly run to and through the front.  That was pretty cool.

My last living Nana (93) has a longstanding one of cooking black-eyed peas.  I called her today and asked her about it.  She didn’t seem to have much of a clue of why but she knew it was important at least back in the day.

I don’t know.  I guess it was somethin’ about good luck or somethin’ or the other (for the year.)

Then in typical Nana fashion she broke it down quite ironically, perhaps questioning her long-lived tradition.

Whatever is going to happen is going to happen anyway; black-eyed peas or not!

“But your still gotta make them right,” I said.

(laughing) You got that right!

Do you have or know of any special or wierd New Years Traditions?

Whatever they are, please enjoy them safely.

May God Bless 2010

pictured Ruth C.   (Nana)

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2009, The Real After Party

A lot of us have gotten our party on to celebrate the new year.  Certainly 2008 has been a year to remember for many reasons good and bad.  I find the rough seas of the economy and life in general to be a challenge to me taking a more active role in living my best life possible.   One of the sorriest lives one can live, is one of mediocrity, passiveness, apathy, or defeat.  I think of my life and must admit there have been times I have subjected myself to all of these.  I think of the time I have wasted or the opportunities lost.  I think of the years I have settled or didn’t believe in my own abilities. 

There are so many areas of directions to subscribe to in life.   So many things that could be focused on.  I don’t believe in New Years Resolutions, but I do believe that the new year is an opportunity for reflection, and an opportunity for new goal setting for life’s course.  For me, the most important things at this point are,

1. Taking control of my thoughts – I can’t control what other people do or say.  I can’t determine whether people will treat me with goodness or evil.  Who knows where my next dollar is coming from.  My mind and spirit have to be “mission control” as I only have true authority over self attitude and focus.  I need to think with a sense of optimism and hope in my life, and in the lives of the people I touch.  I have to believe in my future even as I embrace the present. 

2. Understand the adventure that life is – I think the most exciting life is one lived with a sense of fierceness not knowing what the next day will bring.  Packing light if you will.  My need for personal and emotional safety has cheated me out of that most of my days.  I hope to step out and dare myself to embrace more of the unknown.

3. TCB Academically – There are a few projects that I have been working on that need completion.  That will give documentation for my deeds.  Revolution is started with a spoken word, but it’s carried on the printed page.  My pages should be read long after I am gone.

4. Not just about what I do, but who I am– It is important to accomplish my goals and leave my mark on this world.  To help make it a better place than when I entered it.  But I truly want to be remembered for the love I gave, the wisdom and knowledge I shared, the joy I spread, and the hope I inspired.  If in my works I do not make someone’s life better, I have failed.

5. Love freely and unconditionally, understanding that I am responsible for my own happiness.  – People are wonderful creations.  And we all have our flaws.  We need to give and receive love.  But we need to learn to love ourselves independently.  It has to be so strong that it sustains us when we can’t sense the love from another.  Giving and receiving love is reciprocal to say the least.  They feed one another and it’s a beautiful thing.  But if we in wanting to receive that love and acceptance give people too much power over our personal sense of value and worth, we are destined to live and die with a broken heart.

I have not attained all of these.  They are key areas that I see within myself that I vow to focus on. 

I hope each of you have your own set of goals… and God grant you the grace to see them through.