LOOKING BACK: I made no resolutions

This is the first time I’ve not made a new year’s resolution since I can remember. I always thought of the new year as a time to re-evaluate my life, where I am and where I want to be.

My past resolutions usually involved losing weight. Since I lost 20 pounds without trying over the past two years - by losing my appetite for some reason - that determination can no longer be my goal. I guess I could resolve to try to gain a few pounds.

Along with the goal of losing weight, I also vowed to exercise in the new year. I could care less about exercising now, though I do still walk outside when the weather is nice. I also do some light exercises before getting out of bed each morning, mainly to get my limbs working. I could lift some weights, I guess, to help my flabbiness, since I have no fat left except where I don’t want it. I have a couple of three-pound weights under my couch, where I threw them whenI last used them. But that seems too hard.

Another year, I remember making a resolution to make a new friend. I tried all year, but didn’t succeed. Suddenly, last year, I made some new friends, mainly at church, but not as a result of fulfilling a goal I’d made.

I guess I could determine to keep my house cleaner, but who cares. I sure don’t. I keep stuff picked up and vacuum once in awhile. I used to be the best housekeeper - not a sign of dirt anywhere - and made my kids miserable. I can remember I made them stay outside when I waxed my kitchen floor. Now, when I can see dust, I get out my dust rag and make an effort to clear the air, but it will only get dusty again.

This year, though, I don’t feel the need to make any resolutions. I do have a few plans, but not many. Mostly, I need to clean out my closets, file cabinets and get rid of so much "junk." Every time I start to clear my computer, I can’t bear to delete anything. I still have everystory (sold or unsold) I’ve ever written. Those words all seem too important to get rid of them. My kids can bust my hard drive when I die. (There, I’ve learned some computer language in my lifetime.)

I’ve noticed people spend their early years accumulating, then, in their later years, getting rid of stuff. I remember an aunt of my husband’s giving away her furniture, pictures and even china. When she died, there was little left in her house.

One day I’d gone over to visit her and she told me to take a living-room table home with me. I protested. She insisted. On the bottom of the mahogany table she’d pasted a paper with my name on it. "You told me once you liked it," she said. She remembered, but I didn’t. I still have that table, probably an antique.

So, this year I won’t make any new resolutions. I’m just glad to be alive. Like I once heard someone say, "Getting old just goes with the territory." My husband was fond of saying, "Look at the alternative." Especially as health issues continue to get worse.... Have a Happy New Year!

Marie Putman is a former Gravette resident and regular contributor to the Westside Eagle Observer.