Resolutions are Overrated

This time of year is all about looking back at 2016 and resolutions for 2017.  I’ll go on record now that this whole “New Year, New Me” is complete crap.  Your phone calendar (let’s be honest, you don’t have a real one) changing from 12-31 to 1-1 isn’t some breath of fresh air.  It’s going to be a difference in Saturday to Sunday and that’s about it.  Resolutions to me are just words on a page.  Most, and I say most, people don’t have the mindset to pursue and conquer those things on their phone memo pad (let’s be honest, you didn’t write them in pen on paper). 

Every day that passes is another day without my Sweet little girl.  Time only brings me farther from the last day I held her, but another closer to when I can see her again.  Isn't that a bitch?  It is up to me what I do between those times.  To hell with goals of losing weight and saving money.  Life changes in an instant.  I’ll be more mindful of those things, but that’s not what I need to focus on.  Resolutions should be a mindset, not a single “thing” I believe.  It will hit the fan at some point and I’ll eat that whole pizza and the money will be gone, but it doesn’t mean I’ve lost or it’s time to give up.  Cry in the bathroom, cuss for a few minutes, and keep on truckin.  That’s all I know how to do. It doesn't fix the situation, but it does help to cuss after crying.

2016 was the worst year of my life to date.  Losing Penelope will forever have changed me.  Mostly for the worse, I won’t lie.  I’m not going to look back much because I’ve visited that too many times in the past 24 hours internally, and about 25 times through this blog.  That’s what brings me to 2017.  A calendar year that I won’t have P, but I will have a different mindset, and I hope that many of my friends do too.  I can only think of 3 things that I think would serve as some type of hopes for a new year.

1)      Make a Difference: I don’t know exactly what I will make a difference in, because if I set my sights on one thing, I’ll miss 10 more.  Maybe it will be helping fight for Access to Medical Marijuana.  Maybe it will be one of my students or football players.  Maybe it will be in this book I’m trying to write.  Who knows and at this point I don’t really care.  I just want to Make a Difference and make Coach Brimer proud.  I don’t know what those people in my life are planning to do, but it’d be nice for them to Make a difference too, and maybe stop complaining so much on Facebook while they are at it.

2)      Simplify my life:  Too much of my time is scrolling through B.S. on Social Media, thinking about that same B.S. in my life, and flipping through useless channels watching something like Teen Mom with Ellen.  (Teen Mom is a trainwreck, don’t turn it on, you can’t turn it off.)  There are too many books to read, too much to see outside, and too little of time to do it all in.  I hope the people in my life will do the same, less B.S. on Facebook will allow me more time to do these things.  Hit the power button and enjoy something without a cord.

3)      Learn to Smile Again:  Depression hits you like a train and takes the fun out of pretty much everything.  The other night playing Cards Against Humanity with some of my friends, was the 1^st time I’ve genuinely laughed and smiled until I couldn’t stand it.  I need to learn again how to do that.  I’m sure I’ve missed things the past couple months that could have been a good time, but I just didn’t have it in me.  I hope that those around me do the same.  Life sucks, and it will continue to suck if you don’t do something about it.  Brigham Lyons said it best, “If you don’t like your situation, do something about it, quit bitching.”