Woody Guthrie’s NEW YEARS RULIN’S, for 1942:
1. WORK MORE AND BETTER
2. WORK BY A SCHEDULE
3. WASH TEETH IF ANY
4. SHAVE
5. TAKE BATH
6. EAT GOOD – FRUIT – VEGETABLES – MILK
7. DRINK VERY SCANT IF ANY
8. WRITE A SONG A DAY
9. WEAR CLEAN CLOTHES – LOOK GOOD
10. SHINE SHOES
11. CHANGE SOCKS
12. CHANGE BED CLOTHES OFTEN
13. READ LOTS GOOD BOOKS
14. LISTEN TO RADIO A LOT
15. LEARN PEOPLE BETTER
16. KEEP RANCHO CLEAN
17. DON’T GET LONESOME
18. STAY GLAD
19. KEEP HOPING MACHINE RUNNING
20. DREAM GOOD
21. BANK ALL EXTRA MONEY
22. SAVE DOUGH
23. HAVE COMPANY BUT DON’T WASTE TIME
24. SEND MARY AND KIDS MONEY
25. PLAY AND SING GOOD
26. DANCE BETTER
27. HELP WIN WAR – BEAT FASCISM
28. LOVE MAMA
29. LOVE PAPA
30. LOVE PETE
31. LOVE EVERYBODY
32. MAKE UP YOUR MIND
33. WAKE UP AND FIGHT
Should old acquaintance be forgot? No, but 2011 should. Happy New Year. I’m so relieved the holidays are over. Can I have my life back now?
Unlike amitious troubadour Woody Guthrie, I have one resolution. Kick ass. Write! Honour it. That ability. I have so much writing to do.
I don’t have to remind myself to bathe, brush my teeth, wear clean clothes, look good, change socks and bed clothes often, but they are sound resolutions. I do need to work more efficiently. In fact, I must overcome paralysis. Isolation. Wake up and fight! Inertia. Embrace my process, engage in process. Process!
I will quit crap; viewing, reading and eating. Read lots good books. Play guitar dammit. Cultivate some discipline. I may be at my fighting weight but still need to get tough. Get fit. Get off Facebook. Work on my website. Have company but don’t waste time. Ditch those that drag me down. Love everybody. Oh, and since it’s nearly one minute to midnight in terms of finding my biological father, I must make efforts to solve that mystery. Learn people better. Especially thyself. Also, no more sadness, anger, grief. I will forgive, freeing myself in the process, and thus unburdened, unhindered, go so much farther. Onward and upward. The only way to go. Keep hoping machine running. In all ways, kick ass.
Love your optimism for the new year, Heather. Quitting crap is a good one I want to keep reminding myself. At the end of the year I don’t even want to think about all the time and energy I wasted.
It helps to share with others your resolutions and plans. Good for you. As Woody said, wake up and fight! Kick ass and fight the good fight, for yourself first!
By the way, I grew up with Woody and Pete Seeger’s music, politics and passion. I’m so grateful that my dad was a folk music fan and their records played in our house since I was an infant.
All the best to you. Erik..
That’s me, the eternal optimist. Or fool. 🙂 Thanks Erik, good to hear from you. Happy New Year!