Humor by John Christmann
The Year In Review
It’s 2016!
I realize that this is not much of a revelation. But it seems like only days ago that I woke up with a hangover and it was 2015.
In truth, it was more like a week ago and I wasn’t hung over. I woke on December 31st with a mild headache then enjoyed a quiet New Year's Eve at home with my family and when I got up the next day lo and behold it was 2016.
As holidays go, New Years is not that important to me. I am not big on resolutions either, especially ones that I know deep in my soul that I will never keep.
But 2016 is going to be different. After tallying all of the things I didn’t do in 2015, this year I am making a resolution that I vow to uphold. Here it is: my New Year’s resolution is to stop procrastinating. To not defer those important things needing attention to another day. Or year.
But more on that later.
You see, I have always wanted to write a Year in Review column.
You know, a clever recap of the top songs, the top movies, the top sporting moments, the top news stories, the top of Donald Trump’s head. All of the really big and important events that occupied our collective attention during the year.
And also maybe, with some sadness, the important obituaries.
For some odd reason it is tradition to wallow in nostalgia before we start a fresh year. I am not sure why. Maybe we need to be reminded of where we have been to know where we are supposed to go.
Which is why I have been thinking of all of the things I didn’t accomplish in 2015.
One of those things I didn’t get to was writing my own Year in Review.
I didn’t write it because I put it off and on December 31st when I woke up with a mild headache I didn’t feel like writing. I also still had Christmas shopping to do.
But 2016 for me is going to be different. I promise I am no longer going to procrastinate.
But I will get to that.
I think the real problem with procrastination is not that we irresponsibly delay the things we know we should be doing and then wallow in guilt about it. No, I think the real problem with procrastination is that by actively not procrastinating we inadvertently invite more things to be done, most of which we put off and then wallow in guilt about it.
In other words, if we worry about procrastination, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Because the minute we accomplish something there is something else that needs our attention. Something always has to be put off.
I mean really, why do anything at all? It will always be there tomorrow. And if it isn’t, something else will take its place.
Like I said, I am not big on New Year's resolutions, especially ones that I know that I will never keep. It therefore seems only appropriate that I put off my New Year’s resolution until the end of the year when I can at least contain the guilt to a single day.
But I understand the fallacy of my thinking. So no more procrastinating.
The Year in Review
What a year it has been. Here is a nostalgic summary up of the most notable events of 2016.
The stock market struggled amid fears of economic slowdown in China. And because Korea tested a hydrogen bomb.
During the same period Star Wars topped the box office on its way to be the highest grossing movie of all time. And of course Adele said hello from the top of the charts.
The NFL playoff games set themselves nicely in advance of highly hyped Super Bowl 50 and Clemson faces Alabama for the NCAA national championship. But that is next week.
Of course 2016 did not enter without sadness.
Pierre Boulez, the modernist French conductor who wanted to blow up opera houses and composed music so complicated that only he could conduct it, passed away at the age of 90. I actually don’t know who he was but I still think it is sad.
On a more personal note, as 2016 got underway, I risked my life by eating lunch at Chipotle and a black bear climbed up a tree near my house making the local evening news in New York City.
Wow! It actually feels good to tick off my first big accomplishment of the year! Maybe kicking this procrastination thing is achievable. Maybe tomorrow I can even send out my 2016 Christmas cards.
I am on a roll. The rest can wait.
So here’s to 2017!
And all the rest of 2016.
Whenever I get to it.
© 2016 Dadinthebox.com