NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS

Resolutions

So how are your New Year’s Resolutions doing?  The New Year is far enough along that we have surely wondered what had possessed us to make such a decision as to undertaking this kind of resolution, however noble it may have appeared to be at the time.

Today is a cloudy day, the kind of day that saps the strength and ambition right out from your soul.  My resolution to hike 740 miles during this year was admirable enough and really not a difficult one, only 2.1 miles per day; some day’s I make that distance just going back and forth from the bedroom to the refrigerator.

So far I have maintained my daily mileage, even surpassed it. I have met some fine friends, discovered new trails, and eaten lunch at some great, and some not so great, restaurants. 

It’s not the difficulty of the task; it’s the tedium; 2.1 miles per day, day after day, after day, after day, after day.  I am reminded of a journal entry Mark Twain made as he and his “Innocents Abroad” traveled by ship through the Mediterranean Sea and then across the Atlantic Ocean to home.

“Sunday—Services, as usual, at four bells.  Services at night, also. No cards.

“Monday—Beautiful day, but rained hard.

“Tuesday—Somewhere in the neighborhood of the island of Malta.  Can not stop there. Cholera.  Weather very stormy.  Many passengers seasick and invisible.

“Wednesday—Weather still very savage.

“Thursday—Anchored off Algiers, Africa.  Beautiful city, beautiful green hilly landscape behind it.  Staid half a day and left.  Not permitted to land, though we showed a clean bill of health.  They were afraid of Egyptian plague and cholera.

“Friday—Morning, dominoes.  Afternoon, dominoes.  Evening, promenading the deck.  Afterwards, charades.

“Saturday—Morning, dominoes.  Afternoon, dominoes.  Evening, promenading the decks.  Afterwards, dominoes.

“Sunday—Morning service, four bells.  Evening service, eight bells.  Monotony till midnight.--Whereupon, dominoes.

“Monday—Morning, dominoes.  Afternoon, dominos.  Evening, promenading the decks.  Afterward, charades and a lecture from Dr. C. Dominoes.

“and so on, and so on, and so forth, for several days.

So as you can see we are not alone in our boredom, but just as Mark Twain finally arrived home, I too will complete my resolution despite long stretches of tedium and monotony; but next year I will put more thought into the making of a long term resolution.  Perhaps I will go on a nice long cruise.