As always, it does feel a bit different when the year changes, if only by one digit. A few bloggers have posted New Year's resolutions, which prodded me to think about some of my own. In 2006, I will:
-challenge my students to engage more deeply with difficult ideas and to apply them to their world
-do more advocating for improved international education in the US--not easy in the current climate, but more important than ever
-try to live day-to-day a little more "a la francaise," in other words, more in the moment (this also means spending more time in the kitchen preparing "real" food)
-get outdoors year-round for some fresh air and exercise, even in bad weather
-get rid of some of my responsibilities and contacts that are not life-affirming and take on some new ones that are
-rely more on real people in the blogosphere to get an accurate sense of what is going on in the world, and less on the paid journalists working for the mainstream media, who (with a few exceptions) have performed disappointingly lately
-Upgrade my HTML skills--so many of you have visually appealing blogs and awesome Photoshop skills and I know I should take mine to the next level
-think about permitting myself the indulgence of a Hermes bag, since Geraldine has kindly convinced me of the soundness of such a long-term investment (on ne vit qu'une fois!)
Happy 2006, everyone!
...and the most important resolution : keep your resolutions !!! ;) bonne année !! :)
Posted by: benoit | January 01, 2006 at 07:54 PM
Those are brilliant resolutions. You're making me feel like an underachiever -- I haven't thought at all about the larger world. 2005 was my "nose in the book of self" year -- maybe 2006 will help me step back and look up and out more often.
Posted by: Michele | January 01, 2006 at 09:01 PM
Don't feel bad, Michele! It's like Benoit says--for them to mean something, you've got to in fact resolve to keep your resolutions. The loftier ones are harder to fulfill. What if I buy the Hermes bag, but blow off the rest? I may end up wishing I had been more humble and only resolved to remember my vitamins or something. On verra!
By the way, check out Benoit's interesting French-language blog, which I just discovered. It's called Blog-a-part, now bloggrolled on the left.
I should also add that Flare inspired me to make a resolution earlier in the year to take better care of my skin. I have done pretty well with that one so far. Thanks, Flare.
Posted by: francofile | January 01, 2006 at 10:28 PM
"- try to live day-to-day a little more "a la francaise" "
What do you have in mind: strike or car-burning ? ;-p
Posted by: Pulsar | January 02, 2006 at 03:52 AM
Hi Jean !
Bonne Année et Bonne Santé !
Best,
L'Amerloque
Posted by: L'Amerloque | January 02, 2006 at 09:40 AM
Thanks, Amerloque. Same to you. Keep on bloggin'!
Pulsar, the answer to your question can be found in my original post. Out of curiosity--is this how you express YOUR French indentity? :-) Bonne annee!
Posted by: francofile | January 02, 2006 at 11:11 AM
"-get outdoors year-round for some fresh air and exercise, even in bad weather" and set a car on fire in case it's too cold ?
Is that what you mean by "the answer of your question can be found in my original post" ?
As far as your curiosity is concerned, I express my French identity by having a shower not more than once a week... ;-p
Posted by: Smelly Pulsar | January 02, 2006 at 04:37 PM
Happy new year, Jean!
I have basically made no new year's resolution, although I truly need to get myself into some sort of decent exercise regimen.
Posted by: Elisabeth | January 12, 2006 at 09:11 AM