New Year's Revolutions

Resolutions. Revolutions. What's the difference? With the first one resolves to change or become better. With the second one recognizes he/she must revolt against the old habits, destroy them, and conquer them. Spoken in a truly dark pink tone, eh? This year I have ponder a few changes in life, and now I'm going to put them in writing:

1. I will run at least 4 times a week, every month. OK, this is a physical goal. I'm striving for fitness. And in all of my time in education I know that goals must be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. I can do this. I have for the last 2 weeks, totalling 25 and 21 miles respectively. Most of the time it will feel good. Sometimes it will suck. But it provides time for self-improvement, self-reflection, fresh air, and auditory pleasure--I always take the i-pod. Along these same lines, I would like to run 1,000 miles this year. We'll see how the body and spirit hold up.

2. I will improve my Spanish by studying at least 1 day a week, every month. Language, like other things, follows the old maxim "Use it or lose it." I've had some great opportunities working with ESOL students and would like to take a 2 or 3 week trip to a Spanish-speaking country to brush up on the skills--maybe Mexico, hopefully Argentina, Ideally Spain. As a morale booster, I only own hero jerseys of players from Spanish-speaking countries, and I drink the crap out of yerbamate.

3. I will write at least 1 post a week, every month. I'm talking this blog, visbits. The family blog doesn't count. For one, I don't post on it, and secondly, I have to remind my wife to wipe blogger blood from the corners of her mouth every time she turns off the computer. She's an animal. As stupid as it might sound, I want to be a writer. And what better way to become a writer than writing? I'd like to say I have writing quirks--writing naked, or upside down, or from the bathroom--but I don't. Maybe those will be side effects of my insatiable typing.

4. I will read 1 short story or 1 poem a week, every month. Classics. Contemporary. Spanish. Whatever. As I ponder a starting point, I would like to read some Chekov, Hemingway, Garcia Marquez, Cortazar, O'connor, Levis, Neruda, and David Kirby. If anyone is intersted, we could start a reading club. Not a book club, which at times seems daunting, especially to those that see reading as a chore, but a forum in which we could share short, realistic readings that have the potential to open us up to profound insight. We could also include essays or verses from scripture or other religious writing. Let me know if you're interested. My Cholinergic System is going crazy right now.

5. I will not divulge my 5th goal. It has to do with things spiritual and familial. Sorry to be so obtuse.

Anyway, these are my short-term revolutions, which I can measure week-by-week and month-by-month. Feel free to ask me how I'm doing with my revolutions or let me in on yours. We can be goal buddies. That's it for the present. The future consists of more lists and possibly something about lifetime goals and aspirations. Paz.