So! *clap clap!* What have we learned from the events of the last few days? We’ve learned that if you’re thinking of triumphing over your anxieties about how others view your body and letting people know what you look like, DON’T! May I suggest you instead talk about baking or children or knitting or really ANYTHING ELSE AT ALL?
Today is New Year’s Eve, and I GREATLY ENJOY New Year’s resolutions. It is a great sadness to me that good ones are so hard to think of. I mention this every year, I think, but one of my favorite resolutions ever was when my friend Firegirl and her husband resolved to choose a scent for their household (they chose vanilla). My favorite of my own resolutions was when I resolved to spend the year mock-playing the stock market to see if at the end of the year I wanted to invest real money.
Last year I resolved to learn how to spell calender calendar and lavendar lavender, and as you can see there was a bit of unsuccess on that front. (Wiseass fifth grader: “Well, maybe you should have TRIED to learn them.”)
I also resolved not to press down so hard with my pen, and I DID try, but I think the way I hold my pen thwarts me.
I resolved to USE (rather than HOARD) the pretty, Swistle-colored, CRANE stationary my brother and sister-in-law gave me for Christmas, and I did! I didn’t use it for every single care package, but I used it for most of them.
I resolved to consider buying myself the Bath & Body Works lavendar lavender-vanilla condition that no one was buying me as a gift despite MANY HINTS, and that now was available only via eBay, which is such a pain to deal with. I went one step farther: I not only considered it, I bought it.
What did you resolve last year, and how did it turn out? If you post on the topic, leave a link!
Tomorrow: 2010 resolutions, assuming I can think of any.
I did the meme that Sundry does each year – http://mouthfoot.blogspot.com/2009/12/bye-bye-09.html
I made the resolution to not make a yearly resolution, but to set monthly goals that I might actually be able to follow through on. These will always include something to do with eating healthy & getting more exercise, but will also have a creative goal and a work goal too. I think I’ll be able to stay motivated this way.
I think you are brave. Screw the screwy people.
I think that most of your readers understood what you were trying to post about… The comments section became overrun with You-can-change-your-body-and-here’s-how type of edu-ma-cations, true. However, your original point was eloquent and lovely and very appreciated!
Also, totally not your fault that a post revealing your body-type and asking “please don’t think differently of me/judge me” (<- in not so many words) turned into a fitness forum. I’m still pondering resolutions….
I tend to make resolutions of the lose 100 pounds, floss after every meal, never say anything mean, be an all around perfect person type. I tend to quit these pretty early on. Obviously.
I think what you did in the body post was really brave because you acknowledged your anxiety about how people would perceive your body and did the single thing that would get you over that the quickest. I tell myself I will stop being anxious/meet new people when I change my body to be more socially acceptable. Then I don’t change my body, so I have the perfect excuse to never leave my comfort zone. Maybe this year I will resolve to be more like you.
Last year I resolved to not be sick all the d*mn time, and it mostly worked! Regarding grammar, my most impressive triumph thus far is knowing—and being able to EXPLAIN—the affect/effect quandary. But seeing as I’m an editor, don’t go feeling too proud of me.
Hmm…2010 resolutions…I’ll link back to you tomorrow.
Ooo! Choosing a scent? Very cool idea. I think I’ll choose Grilled Cheese.
I did post on this!
http://momommy.blogspot.com/2009/12/resolving-power-of-intent.html
And I chose a new word for 2010, which I didn’t actually write about. But the word is cultivate. That’s my resolution.
My resolution is to be more like Swistle! I am even more fond of you now, because you were able to tell the internet something that you were afraid to. I shall try to start doing the same.
Swistle, I adore you and your blog and thank you for all the entertainment and edification you have provided me this year. Screw those “you don’t have to be fat” people. I wish they would all go work out together somewhere and leave the rest of us alone. Which group do YOU think will be having more fun? (In fact, I just unsubbed from a couple of holier-than-thou, “isn’t fitness wonderful?” lady bloggers. FUCK THEM. Pardon my French.)
My resolution for 2010 is to love myself more – to be more accepting of and comfortable with who I AM, no matter whether I am overweight (as I am now) or not (as I have been in the past). Whether my skin looks great or like I’m still 16. Whether I’m having a good hair day or a bad hair day. I resolve to be a better person for 2010, and to make it EASIER for myself to be that better person (starting with ignoring and unsubbing those holier-than-thou bitches mentioned above).
Amen, and Happy 2010!
I make resolutions on a daily basis, so I’m not doing anything special today! Still working on the year-end letter (for 2007). We didn’t send out a single card this year– just crazy, isn’t it?– and now I’m overcome with guilt… Yikes!
Happy New Year!
Dude, I never went back to read the comments after I commented on your posts, so if they turned UGLY, I am sorry to hear it! I think you rock, so whatevs. :-D
I did my own sort of retrospective post, in which I reveal that I forgot I wrote Resolutions last year. Hilarious. Here’s the link:
http://thewonderworrier.blogspot.com/2009/12/conforming-to-man-or-happy-new-year.html
(I don’t know HTML / computer stuff so it’ll have to just look like that).
Happy New Year!
Hmmmm… short-term resolutions seem a good way to go. I think I might put one thing a day in the give-to-Goodwill bag. That would reduce some of the junk around here.
Regarding the spelling, I think I’ll try to figure out vacuum and license. (I had to spell-check those.)
Reading comprehension for the win. Or, in this case, for the LOSE. I kind of missed the point of talking about 2009 resolutions that we did or didn’t keep. I didn’t have any resolutions for 2009! It was kind of a year of stasis, in so many ways. I think I needed a vacation from resolutions. ;-)
I posted last night completely forgetting today was New Year’s Eve. I don’t think I’ll post about my resolutions but if I was going to I would vow to read less news on the computer and more out of newspapers. My kids need to see mommy reading books and newspapers, not a computer screen. That is my resolution for 2010. And beyond.
I didn’t resolve anything last year (or at least I don’t remember which I guess is the same thing). I am thinking of 2010 resolutions so, I guess I should post tomorrow…
I resolved to reassess my life and career path and never have an office job again (after being outsourced from the newspaper). I’m still surviving and paying the bills — without getting a full-time office job — so I think I’ve succeeded to some degree.
As requested, here’s my link to Grandma’s Briefs (my site): http://www.grandmasbriefs.com/
First of all, I still think it was fabulous and great for you to come out and show us that adorable photo of yourself, and I look forward to more adorable photos in the future.
Second of all, I didn’t really make resolutions last year, but I do have several ideas for 2010, and I need to get myself together and formulate a post about them soon. Only one of them is baby-related.
i like the idea of a house smell. I think, considering that my husband gave me The Bread Baker’s Apprentice this year for Christmas (yay!), that I will choose ‘fresh baked bread’ as the default smell for 2010.
My only resolution so far (and technically it started this past weekend) is to try to spend at least 15 minutes each day on the house (putting stuff away, cleaning, doing laundry, etc.).
My only resolution was to not get pregnant/give birth in 2009. And, SUCCESS!
For what it’s worth, a lot of good came out of that post, I thought. Selfishly, I loved seeing the photo of you and Rob knitting. Cutest thing ever.
Anyway, my resolutions last year were about keeping up with healthy eating and exercise, which I did do. More about that here (Sundry’s survey thingy): http://is.gd/5HQ4n
Happy new year!
My resolution for 2010 was to not make a resolution this year and just chill out. I love it so far! I was thinking about you and your lavender calendar situation last night and I don’t have problems spelling it myself but this is the trick I would use if I did:
1 – Must know that one word ends in er and one ends in ar.
2 – The word that starts with the letter closest to the start of the alphabet (out of c and l), has the ‘ur’ sound start with the letter closest to the start of the alphabet (out of a and e). So CalendAr, and LavendEr, because c becomes before l, and a comes before e.
Yeesh, my nerdery is showing. Happy New Year!
Last year I had 4 resolutions:
-Run a marathon (accomplished 22 March in Tokyo)
-Finish paying off our car (accomplished 1 October)
-Finish my coursework for my Master’s (accomplished 15 October)
-Be the best wife possible every day (my husband has assured me I fulfilled this one).
2009 was mostly a great year, but it ended horribly, and turned out being the worst year of my entire life (http://ourlittlegeekling.wordpress.com). Hopefully 2010 will be consistently good for the whole year.
i never really make resolutions, because i know how good i am at following through on things (see: NOT GOOD) so it seems sad to set myself up for failure ;-)
i did resolve to re-pay off my CC bill, though. that just seems smart.
I don’t know if I did any resolutions last year (read: too lazy to look) but I did some for this year.
I love resolutions too and get bummed that they seem to be going out of fashion.
I was too beaten down last year to make any resolultions other than “survive”, which, YAY! I did.
This year I think I can be more specific. Like, pull my shit together at work and lift more weights and pay off my credit card and stuff like that.
I resolved to give us bottled water — and I did it! I bought a Brita and two really nice Camelback bottles and am really proud of myself. This year I think it is going to be inappropriate apologies – STOP.
I resolved to do everything in my power to get pregnant, and I believe I achieved that even though we weren’t successful. Sad. But I also resolved to drink more water and start exercising again on a regular basis, even if that meant walking the dog around the neighborhood and I was fairly successful on both of those fronts. For this year? Paying off one of our vehicles (easy), buying a house (semi-difficult) and finding out everything I possibly can on adoption procedures.
My friend Molly last year resolved that if she heard any good things said about anyone, she would tell that person. So if someone said “Grace is really funny”, Molly might send me an email that said, ‘Just wanted to let you know that so-and-so told me that you’re really funny’.
The logic is that you ALWAYS hear about it when someone says something nasty about you, so why not make a special effort to make sure people hear about it when someone says something nice about them.
It’s my favorite resolution ever.
People who comment anything that makes you feel bad about yourself on your own blog are lame. Thanks for being real. I like you even more.
Instead of resolutions, I’m doing the ‘day zero project’ where I set myself 101 goals to achieve in 1001 days. That way I am continually looking at what to change/improve/achieve from my list.
Oh I love the mock-stock idea! Although I’m mentally unable to do anything w/ math or numbers, I still love the idea!
I mean to tell you when I’m away from the computer, but forget when I’m commenting about something else – but! your “clean up” posts this year have helped me SO MUCH!
First, your idea to clean in little spurts like when you were waiting for the coffee to brew (or w/e it was..) has helped my kitchen GREATLY. Even if it’s a 2 minute microwave wait, I’ll find some dish to pop into the dish washer, or wipe up a counter.
Second, using up the “special” things that we keep so long they get dried up, unusuable, etc. This has also cleared out so much clutter! Little special bottles of favorite shampoo, lotion, nice stationary, stickers, etc. are all now put to use, I enjoyed it – they weren’t wasted, and they’re no longer crowding my closet or office!
I learned that no matter what Swistle’s body looks like or how she feels about it, she’s still one of my top favourite bloggers. :)
I love your resolutions! Here’s my post on the topic:
http://girlinaboyhouse.blogspot.com/2009/12/goodbye-decade.html
I never make resolutions because I am a cynic. It’s odd, because I’m cynical only in certain facets of life. However, I think if I were forced to make a resolution, it would be to continue to work exercise into my weekly routine. Well, I use “continue” loosely, as I haven’t exercised since December 3 or so thanks to this lovely respiratory illness, but by GOD, I WILL EXERCISE AGAIN.
PS: I was afraid to comment on that other post, but kudos to you for posting something so brave! I never write anything even vaguely controversial because I am too afraid of the comments. YOU ARE AWESOME.
I don’t usually do resolutions,(thus I cannot fail) but I am thinking about making one or two this year.
This year I’m really focusing on celebrating everything rather than just taking it all for granted. We’ll see how that goes.
I never comment, but I am moved to because you are REGRETTING posting about your body. Do you know how much that post did? Re: the debate, I agree with aspects of the arguments on both sides, but the important thing was that you were brave and manifesting something like grace. That kind of thing comforts people. Go, you.
edit: how much GOOD that post did?
I just had one; it is to be more present with my children, and to enjoy our short time together. I will fail everyday.
http://6512andgrowing.wordpress.com/2009/12/30/my-one-new-years-resolution/
So I remember seeing the post with the handwriting, but I guess I didn’t notice the pen-holding picture. Do you rest your pen/pencil on your fourth finger? I do that! I never knew it was weird until I did this training and found out a lot of dyslexic kids have weird grips like that (I’m not dyslexic… but my son is… hmm). Anyway, it was this huge revelation because HOW CAN YOU NEVER REALIZE YOUR WHOLE LIFE THAT EVERYONE AROUND YOU IS HOLDING THEIR PENS DIFFERENTLY?! I have tried to be a third-finger rester, but it just makes no sense to me.
Last year I resolved to stop trying to take on people who irk me in blog entries and forums and such. For the most part I improved, but I’ve kind of failed in that regard a few times here on your blog, and I’m sorry. It’s just that your blog is so helpful, and nice, and full of common sense and funny, and I get all GRRRRR when someone gets upset because someone in the comments likes lavender better than teaberry or some silly thing.
This year I don’t yet have a resolution in mind. I don’t want to do the big I SHALL RESOLVE TO FIX MY LIFE IN EVERY WAY sort of thing, but I do want to create a resolution for the year.
Alicia- I rest it on my ring finger. My teachers were always trying to get me to hold it with, like, my fingertips kind of? And I just don’t have that kind of grip. It feels crazy, like holding it with my NOSE.
When I was a child my teachers forced me to put one of those triangle shaped grip trainers on my pens, and I swear it only made things worse! I blame them for my inability to write in cursive to this day. I’m all about typing anyway.
I did the Sundry quiz again this year: http://mom-et-al.com/2009/12/new-years-quiz-2009-in-review/
Happy New Year Swistle!
I’ve always loved a resolution my grandmother made a few years ago. It was to *eat as much as she possibly could* so she’d have fun either way.
I’m completely new here, came over for the drama and will stay. Like your style, lady.
Here are my resolutions:
http://sweetteasunshine.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-years-2010-keepin-it-simple.html
I grew up in a goal-setting house so it’s kind of second nature. And I just love new years with new opportunities, challenges, etc.
Wishing you all the best in 2010, Swistle!