“Hope
Smiles from the threshold of the year to come,
Whispering ‘it will be happier’…”― Alfred Lord Tennyson
Christmas is not my thing. I make no bones about it, and offer up no apology. If I had my way, I would spend the entire month of December on a beach in the Caribbean – book in one hand, frozen concoction in the other, the grit of sand between my toes, the roar of surf in my ears. No traffic, no clutter of decorations, no batshit crazy holiday-goers with blood in their eyes.
Of course, it’s not all about me. Ever the humble conformist, I bow to social convention. I put up a tree, battle the mall, send out Christmas cards. All the while, with an eye to the horizon. The new year shining in the distance, a whispered promise drifting in on the wind.
Change is in the air.
As I write this, I am well aware that the new year has come and gone. My January was a fantastic whirlwind. But that is a blog for another day. I’m only just beginning to collect my thoughts: reflecting, evaluating, forging the plan ahead. I’m not one to make resolutions. To me, they amount to nothing more than simplistic commitments bearing unrealistic expectations. Having said that: I do look upon the new year as a period of renewal. Redemptive, in a way. A chance to build upon what works; adjust what doesn’t.
Last year was a period of transition for me. The hip injury I suffered a few years ago progressed into something too significant to ignore. I was forced to address it once and for all. It was a frustrating process – slow and tedious with more setbacks, more pain, more tears than I care to remember. It took almost a year, but I have finally put the “yoga class from hell” to bed. It’s quite liberating to be out from beneath that beast. Physically, I am in great shape – the best in five years. I’ve slimmed down and toned up. I feel fantastic.
With a look ahead to 2016 and in an effort to exploit this new found freedom, I began to explore an idea that has rolled around in my head for a while now – tennis. I wanted to play tennis again. I played when I was young, but haven’t in over twenty-five years. There are a lot of reasons for this – lack of opportunity, physical challenges, my social introversion. Joining is difficult for me. But if there is one thing I have learned over the last few years, it is that one cannot truly live within the construct of self-imposed isolation. ‘I can’t’, ‘I don’t’, ‘I won’t’ are phrases born out of fear. And fear is detrimental to our natural evolution and quest for a satisfying and fulfilling life.
Bearing that in mind, I signed up for tennis lessons last week.
I think 2016 is going to be a fantastic year.
Let’s see where it will take us.
Of Bears and Boating 