I have to preface this by saying that I'm not really a resolutions sort of person, at least not a New Year's Resolutions sort of person. Afterall, I make big grand gestures that change my life all th time, why should I make a resolution to do something different starting on a day when there are few responsibilities and too many hangovers. For me, any 2007 resolutions are all about keeping up with the things that came to me in 2006 -- both good and bad.
For one thing, I got diagnosed with celiac disease -- an autimmune disorder characterized by an intolerance from wheat and gluten that prevents the body from absorbing nutrients and can cause a host of problems in pretty much every bodily system. While controlling celiac disease is, on its surface, easy (jus don't eat gluten) -- it's also time consuming and expensive (gluten-free specialty grocery products cost 2 to 4 times more than regular groceries). So resolution number one is all about continuing to live gluten-free, while improving my skills at it -- which means more cooking, and especially baking at home and great diligence in packing lunches for work and carying gluten-free snacks with me. It also means gtting more comfortable reintroducing foods not related to celiac disease, but that I had a hard time consuming while I was undiagnosed, into my diet.
Resolution #2 is about my cool thing of 2006 -- I took up classical (not sport!) fencing. It's one of those things I love in a deep and crazy way that has over the last two months reordered my life and I'm in the best shape I've been in since I was a teenaged dancer. The thing is, being totally dedicated to this means there are some next steps I have to take other than just going to class. These include reading more about the art I'm pursuing (yes, I have a reading list!), saving up to attend a couple of really cool brief intensive courses outside of my weekly lessons, and crosstraining in a way that won't overburden my body -- hence, getting a membership at the local recreation center so I can go swimming twice a week.
While I appreciate teh synbolism of the New Year's Resolution, I don't find it practical as a day for starting a whole new thing, but I do think it's a pretty good day to remember what you're supposed to keep doing.
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Comments: 2
I also want to mention that I took 2 years of fencing in grad school. Two different classes too! One was regular fencing, classical style and the other was theatrical fencing. I remember the outfit fondly. They didn't have one that fit me and they had to order a kids one to fit my small stature...still it was fun to do and I remember fondly the stance and learing to thrust and parry. I'll be anxious to hear about your adventures in fencing. Maybe someday we can meet up and I can see what I remember about the sport! Good Luck...I know your're going to have a great time with this new hobby!