- Share This Post
- Pin It
- 0
- 0
-
Sparkle (0)
This New Year's has been different in one very important way: I did not make a list of resolutions. I usually do, but this time I didn't. What I did do was to make a "resolve." Just one.
I admit that occassionally I've been a bit of a cliche as my New Year's resolutions list included the usual:
- lose weight
- exercise
- love everyone
- seek world peace
- and save puppies
Okay that was a bit of a stretch but not much. Truth be told I do need to lose weight and do need to exercise and would like to see world peace and happy puppies and see a revolution of Kindness sweep the globe - but writing all that on a list on January 1st just won't make it happen. So I didn't write anything. Here's what did happen:
About two or three days after January one I went to the grocery store. We'd had guests through the holidays and my poor fridge was depleated and I needed to restock the "regular" food. We drive an old car. It's 17 years old [which in car years is old] and the trunk lid is peeling its paint quite badly. Quite badly. There is no budget at present to cover repainting, so I must drive it around like that. The vehicle does run very well however. Except for that awful peeling paint it's an okay car. But I admit to being shallow and I was embarrassed by that peeling paint and wishing that we could afford, if not a brand new car, at least one only a year or two used.
Back to the grocery store...I was pushing the cart out of the store and looking around the parking lot. Darn if I couldn't remember where I parked! However I soon spotted it because of that peeling paint trunk lid. I stopped right there and just looked at it. It hit me how fortunate I was to have that car. Fortunate because we have no monthly payments to make. It gets very good gas mileage. The leather seats are still beautiful. It has cruise control. For its year it was one of the best models. Yes there are a couple things inside that need a bit of care but they are not much. It runs and runs well. Like a seasoned steed, it is dependable and gets me where I need to go. So it has peeling paint on the trunk lid. I have gray hair. Big deal. No one stands in the parking lot pointing it out and laughing at it.
Right then I resolved to love that old car just as she is. Unconditionally. If someday somehow we've got the budget to get a new paint job then, okay. We'll do it for the benefit of the car, not my vanity.
New Year 2012 is going to be a good year; I can feel it. Kind of feels good to have made a "resolve" rather than a list of resolutions.
Linda C Smith, Artist and Writer
