(Host) Commentator Bill Schubart has made a New Year’s resolution not to make New Year’s resolutions, but wait a minute … not so fast.
(Schubart) This year, I’m giving up New Year’s resolutions. I’m sixty six, and for fifty odd years I’ve resolved to begin the diet that would finally work, and several days later alleviated my sense of failure in a hearty binge. Other than being obese, my doctor tells me I’m in pretty good health. I’ll simply try each day to eat healthy, local food, work hard outdoors, and spend some part of my day in quiet.
I’ll turn away from Facebook, Linked-in, Twitter and the 75 emails I get each day. It’ll be hard. You see, as a child I was taught always to respond to everyone and to look them in the eye when doing so.
But half a century ago, those who wanted to reach me either took the time to come see me, wrote me a letter, or called me on our four-party line. There were no answering machines – so people who didn’t reach me would call back if it was important. I suppose they’ll do the same on email or instant messaging. Either way, I won’t have to look them in the eye.
I have more than a thousand friends on Facebook. I know only a few of them. They seem to want to enlist me in their causes, buy their things, or show me their latest sunset photo or ask me for a date; but I’m happily married.
I have several hundred Linked-in colleagues who apparently want me to hire them for something or recommend someone else do so, but I retired several years ago and don’t even have a job myself.
Email will be harder, as I still feel compelled to answer emails except those offering me hair transplants, breast enlargements and other unmentionables.
This year, I’ll read both paper books and ebooks. Honestly, I’ll buy from both local and online booksellers, local when I know they can get it for me, and online when it is a hard to find book. Should it become easier for me to buy an ebook from my local bookseller, I’ll do so. I’ll assure that any books I write are available on Google Books so local booksellers can sell them along with Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
I’ll continue to buy from local retailers in my community because they are, after all, what makes my community. I’ll usually pay more to do so, even as I know that many people with less means cannot.
I’ll buy the occasional paper newspaper, even though it feels like tossing several dollars into the poor box; except, of course, for the still vibrant local weekly papers. I get most of my news online from trusted sources such as old newspapers that have since gone online – or from the radio.
I’ll try to listen more and talk less, but that may be as hard as losing weight. There: I’ve already broken my resolution not to make New Year’s resolutions. So it is and so it has been. Happy New Year!