Happy New Year
Every year at this time we look back at the year ending and look forward to the new year beginning. I always examine my resolutions for the past year and make new ones for the coming year. As I've previously reported, I believe I kept my single resolution for this year. I continue to learn but I've made good progress in my quest to become a better person, to look forward, to enjoy. I've helped people and they've helped me. I'm beginning to enjoy both. When I was young, I enjoyed helping but had a hard time accepting help. Now I've almost convinced myself that I help others in allowing them to help me. In any event, I welcome the help of others now and count that as important progress.
I'd thank everyone who's helped me this year individually if I thought I could. But I'd embarrass some and probably omit others so I'm not going to try that. So let me take this opportunity to thank all those who've helped me this year, from the young children I've watched grow up to the old friends I've valued for so long, from the columnists I enjoy to to the new friends I hope to keep for years to come, from the kind strangers on the street and in shops to my most trusted advisors, from the people who deliver the newspapers to the authors of my favorite websites, from the skilled repairmen to the waiters at my favorite restaurants, from my colleagues to my customers. Thank you all for all the good things you did this year.
In keeping with my promise to look forward, I want to make my new years resolutions now. I thought of simply repeating this year's resolution but I intend to continue to work on that resolution anyway so I need at least to add something. I hereby add that I will redouble my efforts to learn from others, to concentrate on their interests and wants and needs, and use what I learn in this way to give them something. If I can learn how to help others better, I'll help myself. If I can bring something good to the life of someone else, I'll feel better about myself. I'm not being altruistic: Only by making myself useful to someone else can I really enjoy life.
Just thinking about helping others makes me look forward to 2004. I think this is a resolution I can easily keep. All I need to do is keep my eyes open, look for opportunities and try to do the right thing. It won't cost any money or much time. It won't require high energy or super powers. It will only require watching others. I can do that no matter what's going on in my life.
Happy New Year from your Internet Grandfather!!
12-29-03
Home Page 2003 Archives 2002 Archives 2001 Archives 2000 Archives 1999 Archives