Resolution #25: Write More Humor

My husband, Wes Browning, is a master at making points lightly. I am not.

After 12 years of hanging out together (ten of those officially) Wes has conditioned me to at least make my points more concisely. I had developed, over the years, the habit of 1) make the point; 2) give an example of how it applies; 3) rephrase it; 4) give another couple of examples of how it applies; 5) rephrase it again; 6) pause for questions. Wes taught me to respect my listeners more; make the point briefly, and only elaborate IF somebody asks questions! (Or responds in a way that indicates she thought I said Wednesday when I actually said peanut butter.) He did this by saying, "Got it, move on," usually after about ten words. :D

I still get a lot more verbose in the written word, when I cannot see a reader's eyes and spot when they've "got it" and it's time to move on.

And I learned all by myself that every single time somebody came back to tell me that I had really, really helped them, I had been feeling "light" at the time; and every time that I was trying very intensely to do something very very IMPORTANT it more often resulted in a noxious mess.

I do write very informally sometimes. I do use humor. Still, when Wes and I introduce ourselves at social occasions, people tend to grip my hand and say in a low and earnest voice, "I am so moved by your writing"; and then he says his name and people tend to get a big daffy grin and hop up and down squealing, "You're Wes Browning! You make me laugh so much!"

It's not that I'm jealous. I like moving people. I want to move people. It's just that I'd like to make them laugh occasionally, too. Not that I'm jealous. They don't have to squeal.

Well, the capper was, Wes read my list of two dozen New Year Resolutions and he complained, "There's not even one funny one!" I can't even think of a funny New Year Resolution! So I thought of making Resolution #25 "Lighten the fuck up." But that sounds way too close to what my sister might say to me right now, or what I might say to my sister right now, anyway, I don't want to go there right now. So I'm making Resolution #25 just, "Write more humor." Not even pointed humor, topical humor, or subversive humor. Something that is funny just to be fun.

I'm even going to add #26: "Do at least one thing each day that is totally, purposelessly, just for fun."

Personal New Year Resolutions

I didn't even think of New Year Resolutions until a vendor mentioned his to me yesterday. Then I came up with a flood, especially after Wes began writing his.

I listed a lot of my resolutions in my first 2008 post:

1. Help establish at least one new family shelter in Seattle.
2. Continue my garden/compost/worm projects. (Wes says it's good to include at least one resolution that you are certain you will keep.)
3. Keep a more thorough garden journal, and post to my garden blog at least once a week.
4. Help start at least one new (organic) urban garden in Seattle.
5. Find a way to continue fresh greens at the Union community meals this winter.
   
6. Help homeless shelters, homeless day programs, and other low-income apartment buildings find ways to grow fresh greens.
7. Add at least one native, heirloom plant to my garden this year, and save the seeds.
   
8. Post at least one "environmental justice" entry each week, making the connection between human issues and environmental issues.
9. Post at least one "public health" entry each week, promoting public health programs and health education.
10. Keep myself informed about health services available to homeless and low-income people and be alert for people who need that information.
11. Record the origins of all of my purchases and increase the percentage of those purchases from local sources, and from suppliers who operate fairly and ethically.
12. Make at least one post a week promoting a company that operates fairly and ethically.
13. Make at least one post every week that promotes critical thinking and public education.
14. Talk or write to each family member at least once a week. (Already today I have received calls from my sister and one of my brothers.)
15. Do more conscious mentoring of new people in the WHEEL, SHARE and Real Change homeless communities.
16. Stay in closer communication with my friends. Take more time for "hanging out."
17. Do more writing workshops.
18. Do more public speaking.

That makes eighteen. :) Now for more personal resolutions:

1. Continue rebuilding good self-care habits that went out during my depression earlier this year.
   • Get more physical exercise.
   • Drink more water, less sodapop.
   • Eat more vegetables.
   • Eat more whole grains, less refined sugar.
   • Keep up with my magnesium and other supplements I know help me stay stable and healthy.
2. Write a poem a day (even if it's lousy).
3. Submit at least one thing for publication, somewhere, each week.
   
4. Publish at least one chapbook of my own.
5. Put together a (bound) book by the end of the year.
6. Blog regularly. Rant more.

That makes two dozen even. I think I'll stop there. :D

New Year Resolutions for the Common Good

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

That is the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States. It recognizes that all of us do have a "general welfare." There are needs and interests that we all share in common, a common good, and it is the legitimate role of government to promote that common good.

This is my list of survival goals that bridge ideological divisions. These seem a good starting point for working together on practical policies that can be agreed on by a broad group. They are also things we can each act on in our own small ways every day. It seemed like a good framework for New Year resolutions.

1. The health, welfare, and education of children is important to all of us, both emotionally and practically.
   

   • In 2008, I pledge to see at least one new family homeless shelter established in Seattle, Washington.

2. Clean air, clean water, clean ground, safe and nutritious and sufficient food, are critical to the survival of all of us.
   

   • In 2008, I will continue to garden, compost, and raise worms behind our apartment building.
   • In 2008, I will post to my garden blog at least once a week.
     
   • I will also help establish at least one new urban garden (using organic methods) in Seattle.
   • In the next three months, I will find a way to continue to provide fresh greens for community meals through the winter.
   • I will help homeless shelters, homeless day programs, and other low-income apartment buildings find ways to grow fresh greens.

3. Life is highly adaptable, but thrives best within certain parameters of climate and resources. Maintaining and even expanding those parameters is therefore important to all of us.
   

   • In 2008, I will use this blog to increase awareness of the connection between human well-being and environmental well-being. I will post at least one "environmental justice" entry each week.

4. Good public health is essential for the good personal health of all of us. This includes the health of plants and animals.
   

   • In 2008, I will help promote local public health programs. I will post at least on public health entry a week.
   
   
   • I will keep myself informed about health services available to homeless and low-income people and be alert for people who need that information.

5. All living things are intricately interdependent in a complex biosphere human science is only beginning to understand. It is critical to our mutual survival to maintain the health of that biosphere, which includes its biodiversity.
   

   • In 2008, I will add at least one native, heirloom plant to my garden, and save the seeds.

6. Trade, both in the free exchange of goods and services and the free exchange of ideas, has been a foundation of human prosperity and advancement. It is in the interests of all of us to protect an atmosphere for free and fair trade. That requires an atmosphere of equal rights enforced by law; a universal standard of justice. It requires protection and support of the weaker members of society so that all are equal in bargaining power in the marketplace and in the enforcement of contracts. The maintenance of equal trade, equal rights, and equal justice is therefore a common good, a common survival goal.
   

   • In 2008, I will record the origins of all of my purchases and increase the percentage of those purchases from local sources, and from suppliers who operate fairly and ethically.
   
   
   • I will make one post a week promoting an organization that operates fairly and ethically.

7. Accurate knowledge is a critical survival resource. Increasing our mutual knowledge, and policing error, is another common good. Public critical inquiry and open debate is the most effective means yet found for that. Increasing the knowledge and the critical and creative thinking skills of another is an increase of our own good. Education is a common good.
   

   • In 2008, I will make at least one post every week that promotes critical thinking and public education.

8. The most important factor to individual human survival, since we became social animals, is other human beings. The creation and maintenance of social bonds is important to all of us, whether we like thinking of it as something we need, or not. People do need people. We will all be better off by making sure that others have strong social bonds, as well as ourselves.
   

   • In 2008, I will talk or write to each family member at least once a week.
   
   
   • In 2008, I will do more conscious mentoring of new people in the WHEEL, SHARE and Real Change homeless communities.
   
   
   • In 2008, I will stay in closer communication with my friends in Raging Grannies and the Fellowship of Reconciliation.

9. We are each unique, with unique gifts. Other people can see things, think of things, say things, make things that I do not, that I could not. It benefits me to appreciate and encourage the uniqueness of others. The increase of human creativity and individual expression is a common good.
   

   • In 2008, I will do more writing workshops.

10. An ethical culture, in which all people are treated as we ourselves would like to be treated, is important to all of us. Promoting an ethic of honesty, fairness, kindness, and compassion protects us personally from fraud, exploitation, abuse and neglect. Promoting the human rights of all is the best way to assure our own.
    

    • In 2008, I will do more public speaking on social justice issues.

In blogging terms, that's:

1. One garden blog entry a week.
2. One environmental justice blog entry a week.
3. One public health entry a week.
4. One entry a week promoting a business that is operating ethically.
   
5. One entry a week on critical thinking and countering misinformation.

... which seems doable. So let's see. :D

Happy New Year!