We'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne

It's 2:13am, and 2006 is just over two hours old. Alone with my thoughts, I am reflecting on just all that transpired over the last year. I was thinking about new year's resolutions, and recalled mine from a post, early January 2005:

I've been thinking about New Year's Resolutions, as have (I am sure) most others. Personally, I stopped making resolutions back in high school. For the shiny and new year of 1996, I resolved to write a symphony complete with four movements and not too reliant on strings. Resolutions pretty much died after that. Legitimate ones, anyway. Sure, I've resolved since then, but with all the sincerity of putting found pennies in my shoe. More of a fun silly superstitious thing than a real endeavor.

I think I'm going to make a resolution for this year. Question is, how does one arrive at a resolution that has any chance of effecting a change? It seems that peoples' resolutions only chop the emotional dandelion's head off instead of yanking it out by the root, thus encouraging the weeds to return again and again. People resolve to lose weight, but that's only a symptom. People resolve to write a book, but have yet to so much as pen a poem. People resolve to better themselves, but are too scared to address their dark side (and we've all got one). People resolve to come closer to God, hand firmly clasped with the Devil's.

Fanning the flames won't put out the fire, but what is the fuel, the base of my firey unhappiness? No, I won't resolve to go out more or to talk more to people I don't know. I won't resolve to play the guitar or write x amount of songs. I won't resolve to put my foot down and grow some testicles. I won't resolve to find spiritual creaminess, and I won't resolve to 'better myself'.

For 2005, I resolve simply to begin.
...and leave it at that.

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And begin I did. How many people can look over a previous year and actually say they've achieved their resolution? Not too many, I would bet. It's been turbulent at times, but I have begun my life and the painful process of growing.

So with that closure, with the previous resolution realized, for 2006 I resolve simply to continue.

I resolve to press on, to nurture my somewhat yet still fetal new life, and to face the music and dance like it's my favorite song.
... and leave it at that.