Half Away the Old Year Passes

Close up of a soldier on the Virginia Memorial at Gettysburg. The U.S. Civil War Battle of Gettysburg began on this day in 1863. Photo by Andy Keyser on Unsplash

I need some new words.

For the past few years rather than rattling off resolutions to be broken by mid-January I’ve chosen three words for my annual focus. It’s something I learned from Chris Brogan and Rob Hatch.

I had a harder time doing that for My Three Words for 2024. The words were Flexible, Creative. Concerned. The last one was hard to choose, for whatever reason, so in April, I added the word Change. A lot has changed and will change in 2024.

Like my three words.

“I don’t go by the rule book… I lead from the heart, not the head.” Diana, Princess of Wales, was born on this day in 1961 (died 1997)

I’m taking the opportunity at this halfway point to change my three words for the year. Or at least to toss out three new words to focus on these next six months.

It’s the first day of the seventh month. We are officially halfway through the year.

Because I know what the rest of the year is beginning to look like, I need some new words. They are.

Regroup. Revive, Retire.

REGROUP – If you’re a long-term reader, as you should be, you’ll know I do this periodically, but it’s not been working as planned, mostly on the health front. Yes, we all know I need to drop some pounds, and I’ve been trying. But since the COVID scamdemic (too soon?) and The Late Great Unpleasantness of 2022 (™). I’ve not been able to bounce back as quickly as I would like. Not to whine too much, but minor inconveniences take a lot more out of me and require a lot more recovery time than they used to.

The Write Side Shop

Quite frankly, I’ve had enough and it’s time for some serious ass kicking. Mainly my own. But I know that I need to take it slowly. I spent a bit of time yesterday mapping out a plan. Don’t try to drink all the water, and cut out all the calories, and exercise like a fiend on the first day.

That and pay attention to what the doctors are telling me, and be totally honest with them.

This is season, not a life sentence. That’s a promise.

REVIVE – It’s related, but on some levels there’s still some burnout. I’m trying to revive my creative drive which means writing and art and theater and music. It also means narrowing the focus. Sometimes the burnout comes because I’m simply doing to much. Again, I can’t do it all in one day, or even a week.

RETIRE – Easy enough, or is it? My official retirement from the state job is September 1st. But even that means there’s a lot of work to be done. Figuring out insurance and paperwork. I mean there are more forms than you can shake a Social Security intake worker at.

There’s the clearing out of the office and the passing of the baton to the co-workers. I look around my office at the personal belongings I’ve accumulated downtown the the course of 30 years. It’s a lot of stuff. I don’t have room for it, but I don’t want to let it go. That means there’s some reorganizing and other stuff is going to go.

I realize that these are all my problems. You have your own set. And you can pick you’re own three words. You’re welcome to mine…either set of words for 2024.

I’m just taking this mid-point in the year to jumpstart mine

I’m moving forward. Maybe a little more slowly than I used to. But I’m moving.

Oh, and, y’all enjoy my birthday fireworks this week.

IN OTHER NEWS

Supreme Court poised to rule in Trump presidential immunity case on Monday
ABCNews
When the justices meet on Monday for a final day of opinions, they are expected to issue a blockbuster decision on whether a former president is shielded from criminal liability for “official acts” taken while in the White House.

It’s time for Biden to pass the torch
The Atlanta Journal Constitution Editorial Board
This wasn’t a bad night; it was confirmation of the worst fears of some of Biden’s most ardent supporters — that after 36 years in the U.S. Senate, eight more as vice president and a term in the White House, age has finally caught up to him.

Jill Biden Refuses To Drop Out Of Presidential Race
The Babylon Bee
WASHINGTON, DC — Following the disastrous Presidential debate, First Lady Jill Biden announced she will not drop out of the race despite growing calls from within the party to do so.

BORN ON THIS DAY

1906 – Estée Lauder, American businesswoman, co-founder of Estée Lauder Companies (d. 2004)
1925 – Farley Granger, American actor (d. 2011)
1931 – Leslie Caron, French actress and dancer
1934 – Jamie Farr, American actor
1934 – Sydney Pollack, American actor, director and producer (d. 2008)
1935 – David Prowse, English actor (d. 2020)
1936 – Wally Amos, American entrepreneur, founder of Famous Amos
1941 – Twyla Tharp, American dancer and choreographer
1942 – Andraé Crouch, American singer-songwriter, producer and pastor (d. 2015)
1952 – Dan Aykroyd, Canadian actor, producer and screenwriter
1956 – Alan Ruck, American actor

 

Available on Amazon.

BENEDICTION

 


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