I’ve never understood New Years resolutions. If you want to change something about your life, change it. What does the New Year have to do with anything? Others have explained to me that it’s just a device, an objective, external measuring line to start something that you want to do, believe you should do, but just can’t muster the strength, courage or grit to get done. So there you are, a line on the calendar to convince yourself that you’re going to give it a try.
As we close out 2024, yet another year that turned out more interesting (in the sense of old Chinese proverbs) than desired, have you resolved anything? Is there anything you want to change? Is there anything you think we, as a society, need to change?
Not being a believer in such resolutions, I have none. But that’s me. What about you?
What about society and our role in it. Do we need to be more united, or do we need to crush the opposition by whatever means necessary? Do we need to be more civil or more adversarial? Do we need to be more skeptical of our elected officials and institutions or more trusting? What can we, as individuals, do to make 2025 a better year than 2024?
And since today is the final day of 2024, thank you for reading SJ and for your contributions in the comments. And a special thank you to my editor, Beth, for suffering my typos and grammatical errors for another year and saving me from looking illiterate. And thank you for the financial contributions that keep SJ going, and the barbecue and Bowmore 18 contributions that keep me going. Happy New Year!
*Tuesday Talk rules apply.
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Thank you for doing SJ after all these years, and putting up with me. Happy New Year, Scott.
I’ll be doing a dry tax season.
Just because.
And the arbitrary date helped bound the range and also bring some friends along for support.
Twofer Tuesday, waxing nostalgic edition.
I remember hearing this song on New Year’s Eve while watching Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians with my parents and sister.
As for society, obviously, but that post would be subject to the statute of frauds (i.e., not to be performed within a year). As for such a refined, cultured and modest individual as myself, there is not a lot of room for improvement, although, I hope to work in more guitar practice in the coming year.
So, no resolutions. After putting some winter protection in place for my five newest roses, I will be cooking up a kettle of blackeyed peas and a kettle of hoppin’ John, playing Celtic music and entertaining whatever friends and kin drop by for food and/or scotch. For scotch this year, I have the Glenlivet 15, Edra Dour 10 and that blue collar favorite, Pig’s Nose. At midnight, I’ll play Auld Lang Syne as the year changes over. For a few hours at least, I will feel better about society, even though it has not changed.
Having reached that magical age wherein I do what I want and don’t do what I don’t want, my only resolution is to try to stay around for another year just to aggravate my heirs.
“Do we need to be more united, or do we need to crush the opposition by whatever means necessary? Do we need to be more civil or more adversarial? ”
The answer to both of these questions is “both”. We need to be more united with our fellow humans, and we need to give up the idea that we should hate each other because we voted for different people, or because we disagree on some hot-button issue promoted by the uniparty. The real opposition is the establishment that uses politicians and the media to divide and control us. In order to crush them, we only need to stop listening to them. The good news is that this is happening.
We need to be more civil to our fellow humans, and we need to relentlessly oppose the efforts of our would-be rulers to tell us what to think and what to say.
“Do we need to be more skeptical of our elected officials and institutions or more trusting? ”
That’s an easy one. Even the most sheltered normie knows that politicians lie. You are starting to realize that the media lies. My normie friends used to think I was crazy, when I would say “Everything the media says is a lie.” They didn’t know how to engage with that statement. Now they only think that I’m exaggerating. They say “Sure they lie a lot, but not every single thing that they say is a lie.” That’s progress. It looks like the electoral victory of the fake-populist con artist over the openly empty establishment tool has turned the tide, and people are starting to awake from the coma of mindless obedience to authority. I’m very hopeful about the future despite the many challenges that face us. I was about this hopeful before Obama shattered my “hope and change” illusions in 2009, but this time it isn’t a false hope based on lies. At least, I hope it isn’t.
I abstain from resolutions but I’ve got goals.
Bitch less. Smile more. Never pass on an opportunity to play with my kids.
And celebrate every single moment I’m alive because who knows when it’s going to be over?
Happy New Year everyone!
I resolve to listen to more folk music. Here is Jean Redpath performing the original version of Auld Lang Syne: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Znl6z4BJpiA