January 02, 2003
New Years 2002/2003
I just got back to Portland from what has become a traditional new years weekend on the Oregon Beach with my friends. This year the group of people to make the event ballooned to a total 17 people with 15 present at any given time (people would arrive at different days through the weekend and a couple had to leave before New Years). The weekend as always was a blast with the beach, a hot tub, lots of games, music, good food and good company to enjoy.
This year I felt that I created more of a connection with some of the friends and friends-of-friends that I have met and been getting to know. I had some good time for introspection as well as opportunity to talk to people about whom I am and what I am looking for in life, which is a great way to find those things out for myself. Well before New Years came up I realized that I had three resolutions I wanted to make.
1. Be more critical and honest with myself as I decide to enter into new relationships. I have recognized a pattern of entering love relationships for the wrong reasons that I am hoping to break. First step in change is to recognize when I am following the bad behavior patterns.
2. Smile more. When I remind myself to smile and be more positive I recognize it has a significant change in myself as well as in my environment. Over 2002 I decided to let my enthusiasm for my work show and I believe it had a very positive impact in how I work and how my co-workers relate to me. I am now trying to take that lesson to my personal life and to remember to recognize the good things in life and be freer in sharing openly of myself. Keeping a sense of humor seems to do wonders in the game of life.
3. Kiss a girl. What I really want is to have a good, meaningful and fulfilling romantic relationship, but I figured I would start with step one and let the natural progression of relationships take it from there. I believe I do best when partnered. I very much miss my last partner and am still quite sad that things did not work out between us. I hope to and plan to do what I can to find someone to share my life and my love with.
As an added and unexpected resolution I agreed to resolve, along with my friends Michael Hall, Alison, Michael Burton and Sue, not to eat any meat nor drink any alcohol for the first month of 2003. I believe we are probably making this commitment for different reasons. I am interested in finding out if I feel any better eliminating meat and alcohol from my diet. If I notice a significant change I may decide to reduce (but almost certainly not eliminate) both from my diet. Only three days into the pledge I am already finding it challenging to moderate what I eat. I am so accustomed to making myself a quick turkey sandwich of a burrito that I find I have to stop and think about what I am going to eat and what I can eat. The attention to my diet alone is probably worth taking on this exercise.
New Years was a very good reminder of how lucky I am to know some great people and to be able to share in their joy. It was an excellent close to a very merry and festive end of 2002.
There are pictures of the weekend up at the gallery.
