| Resolutions for 2001 By Jim Correale (Published in the East Boston Sun Transcript in December, 2000) Sunlight sliced through the clear afternoon air on the day after Christmas, leaving everything in its path with a golden glow despite the frigid temperature. Meanwhile, on television, there were news accounts of a workplace shooting in Wakefield. An employee opened fire with a virtual arsenal -- including a semiautomatic assault rifle -- and killed seven people. This is the time of year when we stop to regroup our lives. The end of one year and the beginning of another force us to think about where we have been and where we are going. Sometimes such contemplation will lead us to consider making some changes; hence, the infamous �resolutions� that many people declare as the New Year�s holiday approaches. Oftentimes, such resolutions involve a change toward more healthy behavior: drink less, smoke less, eat better, exercise more. Those are certainly noble goals and, as is often determined rather early in January, not easy to reach. The news of the Wakefield massacre -- or the spate of deadly fires in New England this month, or the daily reports of automobile accident fatalities -- pulls into focus the fleeting nature of life. Certainly, none of the seven victims in the office shooting had any inkling that Tuesday would be their last day alive. I have never been one for resolutions, but with only days left until the actual beginning of the new millennium -- and with the unpredictable randomness of the universe on my mind -- I want to see to it that I don�t take for granted the time I have remaining, whether it be weeks, years, or decades. With the dawn of the new year I hope to slow my pace so that I might appreciate more each day, each rejuvenating sunrise and each gilded sunset, every warm ray of solar brilliance and every chilly finger of the wind, every cleansing raindrop and every dancing snowflake, and all the trees, meadows, hills and mountains that I can find. Living my entire life in the city has left me too far removed from the natural world. Surrounded by asphalt and concrete, the connection that people have to the land becomes lost. I want to reclaim that bond. The blur of modern life also creates havoc internally. There are days when I feel myself racing on the inside, with the byproduct being unhealthy levels of anxiety. Here, again, there is a need to slow oneself, to abandon the constant push forward so that the here and now can be appreciated. My resolutions may sound funny to some, but in the coming months I pledge to sit and think more, to read and write more, to wonder and to question more, and to have more and longer discussions with those around me whose viewpoints I respect. I recently heard someone say that time is the true wealth, and I agree. Each of us has a finite amount, and we can do very little to add to that. It is then critical to our well-being that we make good use of the hours and days allotted us. I wish you each a thoughtful and peaceful new year. |