A Promise is a (Half-Baked Attempt to Hold Back the Tides of Chaos and Powerlessness) Promise

Because of some pope or other, ‘tis the season for reflection and resolve. The ‘turn of the year’ is such an artificial creation. There’s nothing naturally different between this week and last, it’s just a calendar thing, so it’s strange how pervasive I find the idea of a ‘new year’. But I confess: I’m a new-years-resolutionist.

Every year, I take stock, make lists. I also like other people’s lists. I like those ‘best and worst of the year’ features that crop up in newspapers and on TV. And now, on the internet. Does it give me, and others of this ilk, the feeling that we have some measure of control? That life is actually a planned activity?

Reflecting on that, I see hubris and delusion. But let’s dive in anyway.

Since this is a writing blog, I’ll give you my writing resolutions and save the personal ones for my diary. The writing is not going well, not at all, not at all- so, this is probably good.

This year, I resolve to send a story out each month.

I made the same resolution last year, and I got all the way to April. So here’s my resolution about my resolution.

I will keep my resolution until at least June.

And since that worked so well for me for a few months- of the four pieces, one was published- I will also add a second resolution:

These stories will be good.

And:

I will keep my second resolution until at least April. Wink.

Happy New Year, folks!