For a few decades now I have been possessed of a bizarre superstition. I believe that how I spend the first day of a year will serve as a template for how the rest of that year will play out. I know it sounds odd to treat a day like a thesis statement for a block of forward time, but over the years I definitely see how it is not without merit.
Example: Last year on my birthday I’d had a new dog for exactly a week and was exhausted, sick and tired. I spent most of the day in bed and in pain but actually forced myself to leave the house for some food so that I wouldn’t be sentenced to a year of housebound pain. But I will say without hesitation that I had a very painful year last year, even by my already-odd standards.
So this year I’ve been pushing myself to do the things I want to be doing all year, making sure that I have a much more entertaining, much less bleak thesis statement. So I’ve studied, written, read, interacted, exercised and laughed. In fact, I’m pounding out this second blog entry of the day in a clear effort to bribe this next year into giving me more fruitful writing times.
I am well aware of how queer this practice is. How “start as you mean to go on” doesn’t mean what I seem to be acting like it means. But it IS fun to in some small way write your own story of your own days.
I love this tradition and only wish your birthday was a week ahead of mine instead of the other way around. I’m going to copy you next year.