I can't believe it's been a whole year since I didn't become a better person. And so another year has come to an end to take away all the pain, all the disappointments and all the mistakes to give us a new start on old habits.
The 1st of January is a stirring testament to the human capacity for hope and optimism, not to mention the self-delusion that a totally arbitrary date could be the new start to a better future.
Even so, a whole 365 days is a long wait and in the past I would move from job to job and country to country, sometimes several times in the same year, to give myself a new start and altogether fifty-five new blank slates and fifty-five new chances to do it right next time. This self-delusory attempt at renewal seldom worked but it certainly made for an interesting life.
The German word for 'real estate' is 'Immobilien' and now that I'm 'immobile' here on my real estate at Riverbend, I have to fall back on the 1st of January to reflect on the past and make plans for what's left of the future.
The always quotable Oscar Wilde wrote, "Good resolutions are simply cheques that men draw on a bank where they have no account", and I won't even be foolish enough to draw one. As for the New Year, don't be a pessimist who says it can't get worse. Be an optimist and say it can.
So, while I may do a "Mr Bean" and go to bed early, I wish you all the best for the New Year and may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, but never in want.
