Resolution
By Kathryn • January 8th, 2008 ⋅
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Here we are in the New Year. The beginning. A chance to start anew. The first day of the rest of life. OK, that is perhaps a little dramatic, but I do like the idea that all of the ick in my life– physical, mental, emotional, financial –are a thing of the days of yore suddenly, and complete with celebration, fireworks and good wine as a part of the passing. The glorious, pure, unmarred future lies ahead. Heavy sigh of relief.
Being the New Year, I began to wonder what the heck this resolution stuff is about anyway. Naturally, I turned to the dictionary first. According to the online version of the Merriam-Webster:
res·o·lu·tion, pronunciation \ˌre-zə-ˈlü-shən\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English resolucioun, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French resolucion, from Latin resolution-, resolutio, from resolvere
Date:14th century
1: the act or process of resolving: as a: the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones b: the act of answering : solving c: the act of determining d: the passing of a voice part from a dissonant to a consonant tone or the progression of a chord from dissonance to consonance e: the separating of a chemical compound or mixture into its constituents f (1): the division of a prosodic element into its component parts (2): the substitution in Greek or Latin prosody of two short syllables for a long syllable g: the analysis of a vector into two or more vectors of which it is the sum2: the subsidence of a pathological state (as inflammation)3 a: something that is resolved
My favorite part of the definition…
synonyms: see courage
Which, after sifting through the quagmire of pixels and chemical compounds, Merriam is actually poetic in the end. Revealing that resolving in the new year to change, to be better somehow, is actually courageous. Perfect.
Now if I can only get the courage to get my butt out of bed early enough to fit in an early morning long run. A little courage might keep me away from the salt and vinegar chips swished down with a good beer or two. Courage will surely keep me from purchasing anything on my long list of gear-lust before paying off my education. Or, I can be a coward– sleep in, drink beer and head out to play with all my toys. Hmm.
Kathryn is a Missoula-based writer, editor and recovering field biology underling-- i.e., she did all the dirty work in the worst conditions. Call her a tree-hugger and she'll kick you in the shins. When she is not writing, she's out on the trails running her dogs. Good luck trying to keep up with her.
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