Even writing this week is trite, however, here I am with my thoughts. I don’t make resolutions because I break them within minutes of making them, because they put pressure when there shouldn’t be any. The past year has been the two rocks of personal and work pushing against each other with tectonic force. I am lucky to be thinking about the whole year before us let alone even the next day.
Rather than making and breaking empty promises to y self I am going to list my loose goals for the year.
- Read my first book in Spanish: I have been learning Spanish for the better part of 5 years now, through talking with my family, listening to music, and watching spanish language movies and TV. I can read long form pieces in spanish with a fair comprehension, however, I want the thrill of being able to sink into a book, get lost in a narrative, and improve my vocabulary and grammar.
- Start learning how to dance: before my wedding, my wife signed me up for private lessons in her hometown. The dance studio was downtown in a corner building, second floor walk up. It was humid, the air listless, and y instructor was half my age and half my size. I was awkward and uncoordinated. I could clap to the clave and tap the bass line yet old barely to get two steps in before stepping on the instructors foot or dripping sweat on their head. It was awkward and embarrassing. This year I’d like to spend time with my wife toppling furniture as we bang around the living room following a Yes You Can Dance The Merengue video on YouTube.
- Return to writing music: there had been a time in my life where I spent hours sketching riffs and beats then weaving the into songs. Years ago I had the energy to arrange enough of those songs into an album that I’d trade on cassettes for zines and art. Today, surrounded by instruments and desire, the most music I muster is off key whistling. The goal is to at least to pick up a guitar up and hit record for a moment during the week.
- Be outside more, nothing more. Working from home can mean that there are days (hi, yesterday!) where the most “outside” I get is looking out a window.
If none of these goals work out at least I might be able to say to myself this time next year that at least I wasn’t just waiting for the days to pass by.
