what if it snows?

Yesterday was New Year’s Day. The sun rose in the East as usual and it set in the West at the end of the day as expected. It was cloudy and cold outside. The house was quiet. In other words, nothing much changed despite all the hullabaloo. If it weren’t for the calendar and the clock to urge me, there would have been no reason to celebrate. So why did we gather with friends and raise our glasses on 1-1-11 at the stroke of midnight? This is proof that we believe…or hope… that the year holds limitless possibility for us...the possibility that good will come to us…that our burdens will be lifted. Simply put, it is a celebration of wishful thinking, as I mentioned in my last post.


So, instead of making resolutions, I am trying wishful thinking this year. This effectively places the responsibility for success or failure in someone else’s hands. Above all, I wish my novel would publish to rave reviews. I wish that one of my essays or stories would win recognition. I wish that the structure for my next book would fall into place for me. This has a more optimistic ring to it than resolutions which generally have to do with self-discipline and grim determination. For example, I could promise to journal first thing every morning this year…but what if I had to wander outside because the sunrise was too heart-achingly beautiful to miss? What then? I could resolve to write one thousand words every day…but what if it snows? If I don’t get out there who will make the snow angels and build the snowman for our yard? The kids are gone now. Resolutions are sometimes simply destined to fail.


Optimism, on the other hand, is an empowering force and hope is a saving grace. There is no limit to what you can imagine. I hope it snows this week. And I’ll be watching for that “red in the morning, sailors take warning” sunrise that heralds its arrival!


What will you do if it snows this week?

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“The world of reality has its limits;

the world of imagination is boundless.
--Jean-Jacques Rousseau--

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In my next post perhaps I’ll tell you about some of the other things I’ve been working on.

jan