Auld Lang Syne

The first thing to note is that many people are in error when they refer to the year 2010 as the beginning of a new decade. On the one hand, any year can be characterized as the start, or end for that matter, of a decade. But, if we are referring to the first decade of the twenty-first century, then we need to recognize that said decade technically ends on December 31, 2010, and did not end on December 31, 2009. The decade of the twenty-first century began on January 1, 2001, and not the previous year. The end of the twentieth century occurred at the end of the day on December 31, 2000. So, we have another year to complete the first decade of the twenty-first century.

I try not to make resolutions in a serious way, for I am too conscious of my own shortcomings and of the reality of human limitations. Usually, I write a poem at the end of the year that reflects on what went on and what I hope to do better. But, in a very real sense, each day of my life is an attempt to be a better person and to engage in thoughts and actions that will take me there. In actual fact, it does not have to be when I wake up in the morning that I embark on an effort to best yesterday. Each moment of my life provides the opportunity for improvement. Whether I take advantage of those periods of time is not even something to consider, for success is not a fair or adequate measure. What's more important is that I am disposed towards continually examining my life with a strong inclination towards being a better individual.

The above notwithstanding, I will seek to be more invested in sharing my commentary on current events and engaging in social-ethical analysis of those happenings. As you can see, it has already taken me five days into the new year to commence my commitment. But that should be no surprise, for most of us have probably skimped a little on our resolve. Nevertheless, I urge you, as I urge myself, to keep trying. Practice will never make perfect, but perfection is never the goal. Getting better, however, is always a future possibility--barring a life-threatening catastrophe. Let's progress!