Resolutions, Part II

I’m finally getting around to writing about my New Year’s resolutions. Some people have probably made theirs and broken them all by this time. Better luck next year, I say. And  I say that probably I need to resolve to do what I say I’m going to do. I would have written this piece sooner, but other things kept coming up. Writing-type things, and for someone who fancies himself a writer (at least that’s what I’m putting as my occupation on my income tax this year—has a better ring to it than “retired”), that’s good.

All right. I have divided my resolutions into categories since a permanent resolution of mine is to become more organized

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The first group are what I call my proletariat resolutions. These have to do with skills I would like to have but don’t since I majored in literature. I know my way around  a poem, but not around a welding torch. (That sentence has probably never been written before in the history of language.) So, I resolve to:

1. Learn to weld. Any kind will do. I’m not particular.

2. Learn to solder. Amy gave me a “learn to solder” kit for Christmas. As soon as I find it I’ll use it.

3. Learn to do electrical work without shocking myself or setting a fire, no matter how small. You don’t want to know the details.

And now for my artistic resolutions. I resolve to:

1. Work harder on writing and do a better job with it.

2. Make my blog better. Thanks to my friend, novelist Nancy Kyme*, for suggesting some ways to do this.

3. Do more drafts of my writing. That should make it more better.

4. Find good subjects that people want to read about, always a concern.

5. Spread the word about my blog (the one you’re reading now). I love my 16 followers, but I would like to have a million like Pioneer Woman. Then I could have a cooking show. I’m OK as a cook, but I bet if I were famous like she is I could get People to cook for me and I could waltz in at the last second and pretend I had done it all. Yes!

6. I want to encourage other writers, and particularly new writers and local writers.

Personal resolutions. Everyone needs some of these. I found that out in fourth grade.

I resolve to:

1. Calm down. It will be all right.

2. Stop multitasking. I can’t do it so I might as well quit trying.

3. Slow down. Maybe that way I won’t make as many mistakes and break as many things.

4. Be honest without offending people. This is tough. I will probably need some better social skills for this one.

5. Stop trying to be Sunshine Superman. Not sure exactly what that is, but I need to stop it. I think it’s related to the song “Superman” by Five for Fighting (which is actually one guy). Here are some sample lyrics to the song:

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
I'm just out to find
The better part of me

I'm more than a bird, I'm more than a plane
I'm more than some pretty face beside a train
And it's not easy to be me…

I can't stand to fly
I'm not that naive
Men weren't meant to ride
With clouds between their knees

I'm only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me
Inside of me
Inside me
Yeah, inside me
Inside of me…

 6. Stop overachieving. I’m not being graded and haven’t been for a long time Just stop it, Dan.

Techno resolutions. These are:

1. Learn to use an iPhone

2. Learn that I don’t have to answer every call.

3. Figure out how to make Becky’s email client stop asking for a password when it shouldn’t and download the incoming mail already.

So, these are my resolutions. You’re free to adopt them as your own or ignore them entirely. I probably will this year, again.

*Nancy's book, Memory Lake, is available at Amazon.com, among other places: http://www.amazon.com/Memory-Lake-Forever-Friendships-Summer/dp/1936467054/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326793759&sr=1-1