New Year's Day -2009

Music by Franz Schubert

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Happy first morning of 2009! 2009. Doesn't that seem odd to say? How did we almost slip into double-digits in the new millennium? 09. We're coming to the end of our first decade and while there is a part of me that wants to say what a mess we've made of things, there's another part that thinks, Hold on - things will get better.

So far in my hour of being awake this 2009, I haven't broken any resolutions. Not bad. Once I broke a resolution 2 minutes after midnight. Oops. I'm less critical of myself though than I was 10 years ago, a little more forgiving. But I do find I have pretty high standards, though I tend not to keep regret with me as I did when I was younger. It occurred to me after my daughter was born that every single decision I had ever made in my life was correct because it ultimately led to her birth and her coming into the world. Now whenever I feel regretful, I look around me and if my family is safe, then I think, So far so good.

I wanted to post a new year's photo today, but I didn't have any. I found this image I kept of Franz Shubert's "Cats" sheet music he created and thought this would be appropriate for today as I think the new year calls for creating new work and different work. Not just thinking out of the box, but living out of the box and seeing what happens.

When Barack Obama beat John McCain I saw someone wearing a t-shirt that said, "Hope kicked fear's ass" and I thought that finally as a country, we get it. Fear controls. Hope moves us forward. I'm not sure what 2009-2013 holds, but I'm not afraid of it. What I hope it holds? More peace. More compassion. More tolerance. More understanding. More acceptance. More joy. More love. More trust. More faith. More art. More poems. More gratitude. More hope.

If there is one thing I could delete from the world's thoughts it would be less judgment towards others and replace that with compassion. It's something I try to work on. It's hard, it's easier to call someone a jerk for cutting me off in traffic, than to wonder if maybe he's feeling stressed because he needs to be somewhere or to consider his circumstances.

I can't promise you or me anything more than I'll try my best this year and I'll see what happens. I know there will be more poems and words around my desk. I can't promise my desk will be clean, but it will loved. I know there will be more music in my life and while I can't promise it will be always be in tune, it will be there. I hope the world will be more peaceful and that the words of John & Yoko will circle--the war is over, if you want it--because most of us are here just trying our best.

So with this first post of the new year, of 2009, I wish you hope and music, poetry and peace. I hope there is time for you every day to sit back and enjoy what's around you without feeling you need to be some place else. I hope you always have good friends, a warm room, and always enough of what you need. Cheers!

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(And hopefully you're reading this without a raging hangover, but if you are to remember, this to shall pass...)