2018

2018

As I pulled up to the Y near my hotel, I noticed the parking lot was full. When I came in I said to the guy at the desk, "The lot is full of New Year's resolutions."

He laughed.

It's true.

When you're younger it's all, "I'm gonna give up smoking. I'm going to exercise more. I'm gonna lose 30 pounds." And on and on.

When you're older you realize that lasts, oh, maybe a couple of weeks and then you're back on the couch, smoking, eating bon bons, gaining weight and not exercising, at all. Don't get me wrong there are people who lose a hundred pounds, exercise, become vegan, and change their whole lives. And you see them everywhere.

For most of the rest of us? It's part of that but mainly it's back to the couch.

When I was about twenty I noticed something. I was a bank teller out in Los Angeles with a bunch of grumpy, I'm not talking to you, customers. But lo and behold, the holiday season was upon us and with it came smiling, warm, customers. It was great.

And the first working day after New Year's? Back to grumpy as usual.

So there's that.

January is sort of the hangover for December. All those holiday parties, all those goodies, all that egg nog, all that fruit cake. Well scratch that last one. No, wait ( a slice ) they're a great energy bar on a hike and it keeps well, it has the same ingredients as an energy bar, so I'm told. I'm one of the few who actually like fruit cake. I remember hearing a comedian once go on about how they make great doorstops.

They do.

And speaking of losing weight, now is when you see the Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig commercials all over the tube. Red meat, Cookies and ice cream? Not good. Poultry, fish, fruit and vegetables? Good. Cut back on sugar and salt. I know some people who've been to them but not many. But those people swear by them.

So here comes dieting, exercise, and the new you.

I've got to tell ya even with all that, 2018 looks a lot like 2017. At least today.

Just saying.