A New Year's Commentary

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Jeff Walston
  • 917th Wing Public Affairs
Barksdale AFB, La. --  The New Year is steadily bearing down on us, and I thought it would be nice for me to impart what little wisdom I have on to those who may not have experienced a New Year's resolution disappointment from my particular perspective.

Technically, New Year's resolutions make no sense. I mean seriously, very few of us keep them. I personally don't know anyone that has, and when we don't follow through we are disappointed in ourselves. Unfortunately, your resolution might actually be a problem for those around you. Why put us through it? I say, don't.

If you want to do something for the New Year, make a lifestyle change. That's what I did. After my physical fitness test in 2006, I decided I needed to make a change. I started going to the gym and riding the stationary bike. It was good. In three months, I had lost 20 pounds, was feeling better, and finally looking at myself in the mirror with a grin again. But, I digress.

The problem started the first day of 2007, when all those New Year's resolutions started taking effect. The gym that I frequented was now full of people who had made a resolution to get fit, work out, spend time away from the spouse; I don't know what it was. What it did, was keep me off the bike when I wanted to be on it. Now, every Tom, Dick and Sarah was on my bike, keeping me off of it.

Don't get me wrong, I understand. It's like a when you buy a new car. Get it...new year...new car. It has that new-car smell. You love the new car smell. You clean your new car. You make sure no one smokes in your new car. Every shoe is clean that gets in your new car. Then...one day the smell is gone and you don't care as much about your car anymore. We've all been there.

After about six weeks of New Year, it loses the smell. Then, it's just 2008, and you wonder when Christmas is going to get here, and what 2009 will offer. In the mean time, I've spent $300 on a stationary bike for my living room, only to find out that the gym is empty again because the new smell has been replaced by another smell. Why? That's all I ask, is why?

Before you make that New Year's resolution, I suggest that you think about how important it is. Are you really going to be able to keep it? If you set the standard too high, are you setting yourself up for disappointment? Maybe you are; maybe you're not. I say, Be a responsible New Year's resolution--er. Why? When it boils down to it, you never know just how much it's going to wind up costing me. I hope you all have a Happy New Year and my best to you and yours.