Turning Over a New Leaf

I came home on Monday and informed my roommate that I was turning over a new leaf. He was quick to inform me that it was too late to turn over a new leaf, they were all already covered in snow.I immediately realized that this must be a metaphor for my life, or some subtle commentary on my age and the fact that I am still single. You know what they say, "Can't teach an old dog new tricks." I'm actually not quite sure if my roommate is clever to have intended the metaphorical or subtle meanings. He often says things and then recognizes how he has unintentionally been clever. (Don't worry, we previously discussed his form of "accidental cleverness" and have already agreed to its existence, so I am not saying anything he doesn't already know.) So, of course this conversation simply confirmed my rejection of New Year's resolutions and I immediately recanted my thought to "turn over a new leaf." Yep. Sorry folks. You are stuck with the same me for another year, because of course you cannot make course corrections mid-year. Why then would we have New Year's? What would the diet, exercise, nicotine patch, and financial planning industries do if we took away their major marketing campaign? (I'm pretty sure they're the people who invented New Year's in the first place.)

So, I plan to just stick with my traditional New Year's plan. In rejecting resolutions, I have decided every year for the last few years to pick up a new vice. This year's chosen vice: Dr. Pepper. But let's be honest, I will probably make it as long on that New Year's vice as the regular person will make on their New Year's resolution. I've never been much of a soda drinker and I'll probably quickly get tired of it. Plus the one possible side benefit would be the caffeine to help me get through the afternoon studying, but for as long as I can remember, caffeine has always had the opposite effect on me of increasing my drowsiness instead of increasing my energy. Though I do have to say, that Dr. Pepper is delicious.

This whole incident was even more humorous in light of the fact that that night at home evening we each had to share our New Year's resolutions. Being that I didn't have one and had decided not to have one, even as recently as two hours prior to home evening, I had to come up with something quick. Of course I chose the first thing that I recently started and plan to do throughout the year, not as a resolution, but as a hobby. I told everyone I was taking up blogging for 2012 and the kid next to me verbally scoffed at my idea. I refrained from slugging him in the shoulder since I don't know him that well, but I doubt that I as tactfully refrained from rolling my eyes. It's a good thing I had chosen not to have a New Year's resolution, I might have felt obligated to try and be more patient with others.

Maybe next year the idea of resolutions will be more appealing, but I have a suspicion that by then the leaves will all be covered in snow again.

(So that you don't all think that I am entirely cynical and jaded, I will share one of my absolutely favorite Mormon Messages videos.)