New Year’ s Resolution
By: Kaleb“ Birdie” Stigler
S omething we are all guilty
of: starting those New
Year’ s resolutions only to not complete them. I myself have fallen into the category of failure of completion. One year I actually made a resolution to start saving money, and I believe that was the year that I spent the most. So, I have found myself just trying to find a goal that is more realistic.( Let’ s face it, women love to shop and pamper themselves, so saving money was not doable at 19.) This year, I am going to focus on being a more positive influence on the people around me. I asked my Facebook friends and family on some examples of their resolutions, and in response I received some very unique, funny, and even some classic responses. I wanted to share with readers some that were shared with me. Let’ s start with the classic responses, shall we? Of course we have weight losers, men or women that are just dying to get back into the body they had when they were 28 years old and in their prime! Could you blame them? Gravity is not forgiving after 45 unless you have good genetics, right? Then we have the person that wants to be more organized and more aware of his / her spending. Onto our smokers that want to quit smoking; I hear this one at LEAST six times a year. I am not sure I have actually seen it happen, however. Oh so classic and all possible. Now for our unique resolution ideas: spend more time at home. Family is important and that isn’ t one that is recognized in the necessity of a resolution. Resolution coming from the heart, I think would be more likely to be done. To talk less,( because sometimes people just need you to listen). Another resolution that I received was to work in Antarctica under extreme weather conditions, almost seems like a bucket list option but it was definitely original. Last but not least are my sarcastic and funny responses that were given to me. I believe my favorite, actually, was a family friend stating that he wants to start fixing things the
As I’ ve watched more and more years pass since I was brought into this world, I have found myself reflecting more and more on the simple things. Family, brotherhood, and friendship tend to be the foremost in these little meditations... and you know what? I think these things have been twisted to the point that we’ ve almost lost their true meaning. Today, many take family as an obligation, friendship as a convenience, and brotherhood as a cliché. I don’ t believe they could be any more wrong. This past year, just before the waters rose, I was faced with being the friend of someone who faced a struggle bigger than most are really prepared for. I had been friends with this person for well over two decades, and in that time, she had become family to me and mine … which is not something I take lightly. I knew when I first found out that it would be easier to just walk away and wash my hands of the whole first or second time his wife asks him to. Followed by her response to get him to do things the first time she asks. My cousin even responded with“ to wear adult onesies everywhere I go”. Boy that would be a sight to see this large and bearded man walking around in public wearing a unicorn onesie. Oh, I almost forgot, a coworker of mine says that she doesn’ t want to eat her weight in cheese! Now, that is an accomplishment; and I don’ t mean to not eat her weight in cheese, but to actually eat > 100 pounds in cheese just sounds PAINFUL. I am sure there are plenty more to be discussed but I will let you find them yourself. Make this year’ s resolutions be something to accomplish; whether they be original, classic, or just funny. These promises that we make to ourselves, don’ t break them. Your word is who you are and who are you to yourself, if you can’ t keep promises that you make for your own opinion of you. Happy New Year to all of you and lets bring in 2017 with a BANG!
A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIEND
mess, but I just couldn’ t do it. I realized that all the good times we had over the years amounted to nothing if I couldn’ t weather the bad. So, I dug in for the long haul. It was and continues to be one of the hardest things I’ ve ever had to do. It is privilege that I wouldn’ t ever trade. This is what being family, a brother, or a friend is. This is what we do. Some of you can relate to this and others maybe not so much. It doesn’ t matter though because the message rings the same. We need to all stick together whirling around the sun on this little, blue rock. Family, brotherhood, and friendship is a choice, a responsibility, and an honor in good times and in bad … not a convenience nor a burden. We shouldn’ t ever have to worry about those closest to us standing up and walking out. After all, we can all get by with a little help from our friends.-Nate T.
14 January 2017 THUNDER ROADS MAGAZINE LOUISIANA WWW. THUNDERROADSLOUISIANA. ORG