Resolute Resolutions

Dearest Followers, Readers and Folks Who Got Here Purely By Accident,

It is now a new year.
And, of course, I wish you and yours a happy, healthy, prosperous and, above all, courteous two thousand twelve.

Now, with that folderol out of the way, I am begging you - yes BEGGING you - to make this the year of living courteously and toward that end I have some suggestions of resolutions we could all take to heart.

• Beginning with me, I will make sure that if I'm wearing a hooded coat or parka I will PAY ATTENTION to those around me because my peripheral vision SUCKS.
• Starting today I will stop getting in other people's way because I've got ear buds in my ears or am texting on the street or in crowded places and then giving THEM dirty looks when they bring it to my attention.
• For the good of all man- and woman-kind I will leave my young children with Grandma or a sitter when I choose to go to the theater or any movie racier than a G rating.
• In a large movie theater that has less than a dozen people attending the showing, I will not choose a seat DIRECTLY in front or directly behind anyone who arrived before me. And in any theater I will try to avoid sitting behind anyone at all if I am going to be coughing and sneezing throughout the film thereby endangering the other patrons' health.
• This year I will be supremely aware that I am not the only person in the world. I'm going to remember that I may be the most important person in MY world but we all have worlds of our own and should respect people's feelings, space and time.
• Life is not fair. If I begin to think that life is fair that is the best that I can hope for my life to be....not excellent, not brilliant, not wonderful....just fair.
• People do not owe me anything. I am an adult and I am responsible for my own happiness, wealth and reputation. Nobody can give me anything that I can't and shouldn't get for myself. I am NOT entitled to special treatment just for being me. Unlike pee wee baseball, I am not entitled - nor should I receive - accolades for just showing up. This is the real world and I'm going to have to remember that.
• Stay the hell out of my way as a pedestrian and I promise to stay the hell out of yours. (Yes, I know that was sort of a repetition of an earlier one but let's face facts it's a big problem here!)
• If and when I come to your home town, I will not sit on your front lawn without an invitation or congregate in front of your door only to get pissed off or offended when asked by the residents to move out of the way...how about you afford me the same consideration in my home town?
• While walking around your town I promise to try to be aware of the people walking around me - such people to always include folks on their way to or from work, appointments and other normal day-to-day responsibilities - and I promise to NOT walk six abreast with my friends or family at the slowest pace imaginable all the while remembering that THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK HERE and just because I'm on vacation and have nowhere pressing to be, the locals most likely are not and do!

I don't want to overwhelm you with my list but if it inspires you to write - and in turn live by - one of your own then my New Year's Work is done here!

Have a happy, healthy and prosperous one!

- SSG