2008 Woodie Awards
How Do You Measure A Year?
Issue date: 1/31/04 Section: Letter From the Editor
"So, what is YOUR New Year's Resolution?" The question seems to echo from every direction this time of year. As each year ends, the norm is to scramble and conjure up some grandiose plot to perfect a masterpiece of a New Year's resolution statement. At the stroke of midnight on December 31st each year, you better have something wonderful to proclaim, or the following year is doomed. Or so it seems.
Who started this whole resolution idea anyway? Is it absolutely necessary to commit yourself to some insightful plan each time you turn to the January page on your wall calendar? What happens to people who REFUSE to make New Year's resolutions? I wonder what would happen if people in the crowd at Times Square were handed the microphone, only to tell Dick Clark that they haven't made any New Year's resolutions.
Maybe they could even be bold enough to say that they think New Year's resolutions are idiotic. Perhaps this does happen. Commercial breaks may serve dual purposes in such cases. If you don't have a New Year's resolution to tell the viewers of national television, your moment of fame is out the window? I wouldn't be surprised.
It seems that some people really take this whole resolution thing pretty seriously. I've heard of people who make lists of things they plan to accomplish during the new year, people who vow to lose absurd amounts of weight by going to the gym on absurd amounts of days and eating absurd amounts of healthy food, people who make resolutions to climb higher mountains, swim longer distances, blah blah blah. But, there are those who actually accomplish what they set out to do, too.
There are many, however, who only stick to their resolution for about a month or so, before they break down and eat that piece of chocolate that has been staring at them or smoke that cigarette even though they resolved to give up everything that was a serious health risk. For these individuals, what good does a New Year's resolution do? Is a New Year's resolution just another fashion statement that people HAVE to have in order to hang with the cool crowd on New Year's Eve? I am beginning to think that it might be.
Who started this whole resolution idea anyway? Is it absolutely necessary to commit yourself to some insightful plan each time you turn to the January page on your wall calendar? What happens to people who REFUSE to make New Year's resolutions? I wonder what would happen if people in the crowd at Times Square were handed the microphone, only to tell Dick Clark that they haven't made any New Year's resolutions.
Maybe they could even be bold enough to say that they think New Year's resolutions are idiotic. Perhaps this does happen. Commercial breaks may serve dual purposes in such cases. If you don't have a New Year's resolution to tell the viewers of national television, your moment of fame is out the window? I wouldn't be surprised.
It seems that some people really take this whole resolution thing pretty seriously. I've heard of people who make lists of things they plan to accomplish during the new year, people who vow to lose absurd amounts of weight by going to the gym on absurd amounts of days and eating absurd amounts of healthy food, people who make resolutions to climb higher mountains, swim longer distances, blah blah blah. But, there are those who actually accomplish what they set out to do, too.
There are many, however, who only stick to their resolution for about a month or so, before they break down and eat that piece of chocolate that has been staring at them or smoke that cigarette even though they resolved to give up everything that was a serious health risk. For these individuals, what good does a New Year's resolution do? Is a New Year's resolution just another fashion statement that people HAVE to have in order to hang with the cool crowd on New Year's Eve? I am beginning to think that it might be.