If I get one more New Year's greeting, I am going to scream.
There are two dreadful days of the year. No, not April 15, that one I can stomach. These are the bitter pills of days. One of them is that first day back to work (or school, which caused the problem in the first place) after the long, joyous summer. I did a piece The End of Summer Stomach Ache earlier this year. It is clear as a bell why they call it Labor Day because it’s as painful as being in labor. The other horrendous day is the first day back to work after the Christmas holidays having overdosed on New Year’s Eve. I refer to the overdose of emotional investment in New Year’s Eve not necessarily libations. Those of you that are suffering from both…ugh…I feel your pain. We tend to build up New Year’s Eve so it becomes a challenge to live up to anyone’s expectations…especially our own. Fortunately we had a long weekend to recover from our disappointment and alas, today is the first day of the rest of our lives.
I feel the way Timothy Hutton looks.
How many times this weekend have you heard, “This is going to be the best year ever“. Now, I am willing to buy that argument however can we just start this Pollyanna movement tomorrow? I need this day to rest from the idea of having the best year ever. When you consider the magnitude of that statement and how gargantuan the responsibility is to achieve that goal, all you can do is crawl back under the sheets and hope to wake of in 2011…with your Oscar in hand. There is a scene in the film Ordinary People when Conrad (Timothy Hutton) and Karen (Dinah Manoff), who met in the mental institution, get together over the holidays and Karen says, “Conrad, let’s have the best year ever”. In the next scene, Conrad finds out that Karen has committed suicide. Now, I am not saying this to scare you. But, it is scary to think that if you don’t have the best year ever…then…what…that is the option? Oy.
Anyhoo, onto cheerier topics. No matter what, I intend to have the best year ever, in spite of the economic downturn. I still have one thing that can not be diminished just because a bunch of bankers are jerks who caused this calamity. That is my spirit. Yup, you can take my income, chip away at my investments, feature Tiger Woods’ gaggle of hussy’s all you want. But this boy is here to stay. My goal for 2010 is to continue to let my spirit guide me, knowing that my mind and body will follow and yes, have the best year ever. Sound like hooey? Well, what is your option, Karen?
today is my first day back to work after 2 weeks off. yuck. i hate hearing everyone say how 2009 sucked, and 2010 'will be so much better!' actually, 09 was a good year for me. i was very blessed. but that is not the 'in' thing to say, i suppose. the one thing i am trying to work on is my attitude toward the things in my life that make me unhappy. i need to accept them for what they are, and even appreciate the good that can come from them. (while working on getting rid of them, of course!) that's how i am taking care of my own spirit.