The new year, 2007, has already begun. Seems here in the US (is this done in other countries also?), the tradition is-on New Year's Eve-to write down or state your "resolutions" for the new year. These are supposed to be things you wish to accomplish, goals you are going to set in order to meet, etc.
I must confess...I did not make any resolutions. It is not an activity which I indulged in while growing up (I remember the adults conversing about this) and is something I find rather nebulous today. I just could not envision myself, sitting out in the wild, untamed, jungles of my former homeland, making promises to accomplish or reach goals when everything around me appeared so uncertain. I did set seeking to gain knowledge of certain activities (like making a native carrying net), but that was something I wanted to do anyway!
Besides, personal resolutions seemed too much like relationships - apt to be broken, soon to be parted from, and never quite the same when trying to start back up again.
What are your thoughts on this? Did your family/community embrace this as part of their passport-home traditions, carrying them out in a foreign land somewhere? Was this something done by the indigenous people you lived with?
Do you make resolutions now?
Well...back to the editing table to continue working on the next issue of Among Worlds magazine! I know each of you who subscribe will enjoy what all the authors have to say.
Margie
Editor, AW
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4 comments:
This, too, was something that only adults did as a was growing up in a very westernized part of Kenya, Africa, and I seem to remember most resolutions revolving around diets.
As for me, I do not make them...in fact my only resolution every year is..not to make one. I find that a disciplined life is not something that is made by resolutions, but rather by a self awareness and control that is normally carried out by one's desire to be, act, look or feel a certain way. I may want to lose 10 lbs, but a resolution is not going to do me any good until I have the self discipline enough to stop eating french fries! I am interested to see who else chimes in.
I grew up in Mexico, where people make "promesas" for the New Year. I make goals. I have learned that as an adult, I can have a certain amount of control over the direction of my life. Each year, I take a look at where I am in life and where I want to be, and I set a couple of reasonable goals. Usually it is a skill that I want to acquire, or something specific that I want to do, such as sort through all my belongings and get rid of as much as I can so that I can be ready to move more easily. :) While I do usually meet my goals, I don't beat myself up if it doesn't happen. I did not meet one of my goals for 2006 because of an unexpected adventure / trip that took place in the middle of the year. On the bright side, that adventure resulted in a loss of ten pounds. Maybe I should have made that my goal instead!
Brasilians also make "promesas" and I'm a little like that. January one makes me realize that another year is gone, so I informally decide to improve some area of my life. When I was single and childless the resolutions centered around becoming more confident, etc. Now I just want to potty train my little girl. One thing remains constant since I left Brasil in 79, January 1st makes me realize I need to keep better contact with old friends and brush up on my Portuguese.
In Brasil, people make "promesas" too. I tend to do this. January one makes me realize another year has passed and I want to pay more attention to "real" things--playing with my daughter, talking to my husband, keeping in touch with old friends, especially the ones who move a lot and have ended up in some corner of the world. I always resolve to care less about the petty things--housework etc. and do the real work of being involved in people's lives.
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