If you look back through my years of writing The Metro Perspective, you will see that I used to have a tradition of writing almost the exact same piece of drivel every single January 1st. I would talk about the arbitrariness of January 1st as some significant milestone; some special day upon which you could change your fortunes and make a better life for yourself.
I would always write that self-improvement is a constant commitment and that true change really only sticks when you truly want to change. Waiting until a pre-ordained date to begin making the changes you’ve known all year that you should make dooms you to failure.
While most businesses languish in a post-holiday haze created by too much egg nog, champagne, and spending, gyms and fitness facilities enjoy their busiest month of the year in January. People who are committed to finally getting into shape join up and make a good show of it, but their enthusiasm wanes in February as they realize that the rest of the world doesn’t give a shit about their resolutions and the demands upon their time bear down and batter their already flimsy discipline into submission.
Or do I just sound cynical…
Anyway, I had a rough year way back in 2017 and ended up having three heart surgeries (minor, as heart surgeries go) and a wrist surgery. Four surgeries in one year! My body was nearly as beaten down as my psyche and I decided to make an exception.
On January 1st, I posted a wish for the new year. Ironically, I began that post with the disclaimer that I don’t generally believe in New Years Resolutions, but had decided to make an exception this year. I posted a hope that, whatever else may go right or wrong that year, at least I should have fewer surgeries.
One final heart procedure and seven surgeries resulting from a climbing accident later, I have decided that New Years can suck it!
Look, life happens. The world doesn’t follow the Gregorian calendar and, as it travels around the sun and all of us lesser life forms crawling around upon it go about our insignificant business, it doesn’t care what day it is. Any day is as good as any other to begin a new year. Every day is New Years Day!
Of course, every night is New Years Eve, so pour the champagne!
So here I am, a bit more bitter than I was a few years ago when I posted my last resolution-rant, wishing you a Happy January 4th! May the Fourth be with you and all that? (Yeah, I know it’s the wrong month, but work with me here)
If you are reading this, I have a special message for you. And yes, I am talking to you specifically, not the generic you. I would love it if you could focus on letting more love and acceptance into your life. Not this year, just in general. Try to see things through other people’s eyes rather than imposing your own views on others. Try to see the value in difference and things that you may consider strange. Try to help more and give more of yourself unselfishly to others.
I also have a hope for you. I hope that every effort you put forth toward those ends comes back to you ten-fold. I hope that you are appreciated for the beauty and uniqueness you bring into the world. I hope that you are more loved and that you feel safer and supported enough to truly embrace who you are and share that with the world.
Today begins a new year for all of us and I hope that this new year is better than the one that began yesterday and that the one that begins tomorrow is better still.
Happy New Year… today and every day.
The Metro Perspective 