Resolutions

I don't know how many of you made New Year's Resolutions. It's something that I've done in the past, but this year I decided not to make any resolutions. Ok, so maybe it wasn't so much of a purposeful decision as it was simply forgetting to think about it, but let's not split hairs here. Part of my thinking concerning resolutions is that they just don't seem to stick around very long. That's true for me at least.

And let's be honest, that's the case for most people. If everyone that made a resolution to lose weight actually lost weight, wouldn't we see a decline in the number of people making that resolution every year? But if that is your New Year's Resolution, more power to you. I just know I'm not very good at keeping them.

So I'm not making any resolutions this year. But if I were to make a resolution or two, which I'm not, somewhere at the top of the list would be to get into the habit of reading more. I know, I know. Those of you that know me can quit laughing now. I'm not a big fan of reading. Me and reading just don't get along. I somehow manage to read through a few chapters of a book, and I'll actually enjoy it, but then I'll put it down and never pick it up again. I've done this for years. But I'm beginning to learn that reading really is another way that I can grow, both mentally and spiritually. I managed to get through a few books for some classes last semester, and I actually enjoyed them. I enjoyed the discussions that we had in classes, and I've been pleasantly surprised at the amount of information that I've retained, and the amount of times I've referenced these books in conversations with other people.

So I got a head start on the New Years by reading Half-Life Die Already: How I Died and Lived to Tell About it by Mark Steele. (Yes, I read the whole thing.) This is a great book, written by a hilarious author. If you go to his website linked above (Yes, you actually have to insert the candy corn into his mouth to enter the site!) you can listen to the forward and chapter one from the book in audio format. It's kind of lengthy but I highly recommend you start chapter 1 and skip to the end for a truly hilarious story. (Click on "Summer Storms" below the picture and then "Audio Chapters.")

In the book, Mark writes about the past year in his life, the most difficult year of his life, and how he struggled to survive it. Mark writes in sort of an ADD way. He'll start a story, and then leave it for a chapter or two, then come back to it later to finish it up. It can get confusing, but in the end, Mark sums things up beautifully. I promise, he'll have you in tears because you'll be laughing so hard. It's a fun read, but also a very sobering read about how all of our efforts to withstand life's complications and problems can be performed in vain.

I'll leave it at that. If you're still reading at this point, thanks. And as a way of saying goodbye, I'll leave you with this picture from last night's UNC vs. College of Charleston game. And who said you couldn't stop Tyler Hansbrough?