I Just Met My Potential Future Brother In-Law

It isn’t long until the family you’ve grown up with for so many years starts adding members to the family tree.  Your mother could’ve given birth, you could’ve discovered long lost cousins, or your sister fell in love with a guy who hails from Connecticut.  The last of these three possibilities rings true today.   I was aware of his arrival because of my dog’s incessant barking.  I was thoroughly excited to meet this guy, although naturally anxious because this could be the guy that grants my sister his last name for the rest of eternity.

I don’t know much about this guy and I’ve spent the majority of my time protesting the relationship.  I was initially scared because this guy lives in Connecticut, no where near our home state.  This means he can get away with practically everything and nobody in our immediate family would ever know about it.

I put on my glasses and stumbled into the kitchen of our house.  Once I got a look at him I politely introduced myself with a customary handshake and a twitch of my awkward eyes.  We’ve literally exchanged no more than five words since his arrival, but he had to go back to the airport because they lost his baggage.  The only thought that I could conjure up in my melon was “This is it.”

“This is it.”  This is the beginning of the rest of our relationship and physical existence.  I can’t tell you if he’s here to stay permanently because they are talking about marriage, but it’s only in the discussion stages.  It’s just weird to think that twenty years from now, I’ll be in my forties potentially playing with their children before we all sit around the table sharing a Thanksgiving meal, establishing new family traditions as the years roll by.

He seems like a great guy and I’m all for giving him a chance.  I’m taking him to see Django Unchained this weekend.  He’s reportedly a film buff just like me, so we’re already off to a great start.  I can only hope for the best because I have a feeling this guy is going to be here for a long time.  He just better like the movie, because Tarantino is one of my favorites.

New Year, Same Me

New Years Resolutions: A declaration of change for the new year that ultimately is not followed by anyone after a few weeks.

Change is welcome, albeit many people only seek it when a new year is approaching.  After claiming the previous year that they were going to lose a bunch of weight, they gave up two weeks in and decided, “Awh, screw it.  I’ll start again next year.”  Generally, I applaud people who are willing to change something about themselves or how they go about life, yet over the years I’ve grown skeptical of the whole New Years tradition.

Why is it that people are only electing to bring change into their lives around New Years?  The comparison I’m about to make may seem a little out of line, however I feel it matches best to what I’m trying to convey.  After the despicable shooting in Newtown, Connecticut where nearly 30 people lost their lives and many others injured,  a lovely woman named Ann Curry inspired a mass movement called 26 Acts of Kindness, which asks everybody to do one act of kindness in memory of each victim who lost their lives at the hands of Adam Lanza.  On human nature’s part, this is excellent and incredibly unselfish.  My issue lies with the fact that many people seem to only be inspired by tragedies and upcoming holidays to do good for others.  People have effortlessly applied this concept into those dreaded New Years resolutions.  I think it’s fair to argue that if our calendar didn’t start anew every January, a lot of people wouldn’t be electing to change whatsoever.  Would there be an Acts of Kindness movement if there weren’t any tragedies or holidays to consider?  Maybe so, but only very few people would be inspired as many are infatuated with their own well-being.

I have decided that I have no true New Years resolution.  I have come to the conclusion that I need to be myself and do good for others at any opportunity I get.  Change is welcome, but I don’t feel the need to change because then I just wouldn’t be myself, I’d be just as guilty as those who are only inspired by outright disaster to not only think about themselves.

While I would love for all of you to achieve your goals, I implore everyone to not reserve your weight loss goals, personality changes, and what not for New Years resolutions.  Instead, make these your daily goals because New Years resolutions are bound to be broken.  There’s no motivation whatsoever to reach your New Years’ goals because you can always “start again next year.”  Having daily goals will give you the proper motivation you need to succeed.

Happy New Year, everybody!