It's 2009 already? Seriously?

Okay. So maybe my resolution should be to pay more attention then.
Because I'm still not entirely sure where 2008 went.

Honestly, though... the fact is I'm lousy at the whole resolution-thing.

I used to try and make them. Never worked.
You know, the usual stuff - eat better, exercise more, get organized (and all of those other things fall under the dust-coated, laundry-bedecked heading of "clean your room!")... forget it.

Ask my mom.

It just doesn't happen. In fact, it usually actively unhappens. It's like my resolve mocks me if I formally call upon its power. Perverse I tell you. Best if I just ignore it and carry on, really.
But all right. For the purposes of this post, I will ruminate on what I would resolve to do if I actually did that kind of thing.

I thoroughly expect this year to be at least as much of a whirlwind as last year was. And if I was going to resolve to do anything that I'm not already doing, I suppose it would be simply this: pay attention.

Pay attention to the little things. The big things don't seem to care if you notice them - they aren't going anywhere. But the little things... if you stop seeing the daily cool stuff, stop noticing the miniscule goodies that lurk just out of the corner of your eye, stop doing those double-takes at all the tiny jewel-like moments that take you by surprise... then you can lose a whole week or a month or a year just like that.

I didn't exactly lose 2008 - that was, quite frankly, writerly exagerration - and I wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world! But in all the crazy, swooping big stuff that was happening, I'm pretty sure that I might have missed a bit of wonder here and there.

So yeah. If there's anything I would resolve to do in 2009 (and I'm NOT, remember, because then I won't!) it's simply that.

Pay attention.

So Happy (what year is this again? - oh right!) 2009!
Have a wonderful, attentive year everyone!