Parenting Blog / Travel

My 2012 New Year’s Resolution

Quit chain smoking. Lose weight. Retire the Member’s Only jacket. Stop downloading porn.

I rarely make New Year’s resolutions. This year though, I am. I’m making just one and it is this:

To commit to a life ruled by the law of anecdotal value.

Even though you are there and I am here, your groan and head scratching are felt.  And stop rolling your damn eyes, I’m getting enough of that from the Bear already.

Here’s what my silly sounding New Year’s resolution means:

I am going to make as many decisions as possible based on which path will result in a better story to tell later.  It is a more fanciful way of saying take the road less traveled, probably.  At first blush, this seems an expensive resolution and to begin with it kinda will be.

For example, I just booked a mini-West Coast family vacation for mid-February to spend time with friends.  ‘Tis going to be a great story.  The Bear & Mouse will spend 5 sun-kissed days with kids their age that they rarely see.  Wonderful stories, and memories too, will surely follow.  But living life by the law of anecdotal value needn’t always mean one of cross country flights and hotel swimming pools.  Or even tremendous personal or financial risk.  It applies to everyday stuff too, like literally taking a road less traveled to connect points A and B on your next journey to a family members house or to the mall, or ordering something you’ve never tried the next time you are dining out or turn yourself over to the restaurant by asking the waiter and/or chef to decide for you, to bring you dishes based on what they think is best on that given evening (or better yet, go ahead and cook something you’ve never had success preparing before at home.  Scallops, I’m looking at you).  That’s a shit load of ‘ors’ I know, but that is what I am getting at in a very roundabout way: to approach even the simplest of choices with an open mind for the option that may follow the word ‘or’.  Because the better story may just begin right there.

I’m not doing any of this for more blog material, not at all.  This is for more life material, filled under the heading “life is too short to be too damn boring”.  That said, I’m sure I’ll be Facebooking & Tweeting some of the juicier anecdotes along the way.

Making a New Year’s Resolution of your own?  Sharing is caring.

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