My New Year’s resolution last year was to find out whether it’s possible for an irredeemable cynic like myself to be consistently and authentically kind to my fellow humans, regardless of how my trust issues feel about things.
A year later, my conclusion is: it’s possible, but inadvisable.
For almost half of the past year, I prioritized kindness in my interactions with a problematic person. Honestly, I should have just called out their nonsense on day one and then limited our interactions to the barest minimum. But it wasn’t just the resolution that kept me from doing that. I made a big move last year, a sort of leap of faith that landed me in a better but more vulnerable position. So I didn’t really feel secure enough to stand up for myself like I normally would. And of course in the end the person weaponized both my vulnerability and my kindness in the most drearily predictable way. The fallout from that impacted not only me, but too many of the people around me.
So much for the kindness experiment. Moving on.
My resolution for 2024 is to summit one of Colorado’s 14ers. It’s crazy that I’ve lived here for more than three years and haven’t done that yet. But this will be the summer I make it happen!
Happy New Year to all in these strange and eventful times. May 2024 bring us a little closer to that elusive dream of peace on earth and goodwill toward one another.
An Invincible Summer 