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Thursday, December 31, 2009

A Tall Order for the New Year


As the New Year approaches, I can't help but be swept up in the romantic notion that somehow, as the clock strikes midnight, we'll all be granted a Tabula Rasa on which we can rebuild ourselves, our experiences and direction for the new year. As if new doors are ready to open at any moment to make this year different and better than the one before. A chance to start over. To get back on track. To really make something of myself. But...I'm not here to lecture with the typical "New Year's Resolutions" post. This year I'll..... [insert lofty goal or significant lifestyle change here].

Waiting for the clock to strike 12 and for a change to happen is pretty arbitrary. As if the balloon drop is laced with fairy dust with some character-altering quality. Overall, I'm prone to this type of romanticism quite throughout the year. When it comes to my birthday, I harbor a secret expectation that this year...that being 27, 28 or 29, will somehow feel different and special compared to the year before. That the passing of one specific day has the power to alter how I feel about my place in the world. I remember a gradeschool fieldtrip to a Cleveland Playhouse. One of the thespians instructed the audience that every time a castmember uttered the phrase, "Something strange & magical is about to happen," we were to all slowly crescendo to a drumroll, thus heightening the anticipation of a magical event about to unfold. Something strange and magical stuck with me.

I have a secret, unspoken expectation that that something strange and magical will happen with nearly every experience and activity I have. Its my own self-imposed "Tall Order" that I'm going to change the world and impact lives...even every time I bake a batch of cookies. Did I not say that I get swept up in high expectations? So here I am..ready to share my Tall Orders with you....and all the lessons I learn along the way.

Is something strange and magical going to happen to you in the New Year?

PS- I can't leave without a toast of Champagne. Its my absolute favorite. May your bubbles & dreams always rise to the top.