Thursday, June 10, 2010

New Year's Resolutions

Though the first day of January is, in truth, a random mid-winter's day (as opposed to the Winter Solstice which actually heralds the return of light and a new growth cycle), it is not in the Yummish nature to turn up one's nose at a party, especially one involving champagne.

Many Yummish also choose to celebrate the Lunar New Year (known as “Chinese New Year” in California, New York and other sinospheric cultures, and “Saturday” everywhere else.). The date of the Lunar New Year changes each year, but it is usually celebrated about six weeks after the date chosen to celebrate the Solar New Year, which had occurred about ten days before that. The Yummish do not see a conflict in any of this, as devotees of the true YUM are happy to participate in any celebration, no matter how astronomically suspect.

Most of the traditional rituals for celebrating this semi-holiday are warmly embraced by the Yummish Council, which has a soft spot for all things bubbly. However, there is one New Year's tradition about which the Council has serious reservations – the New Year's Resolution.

The perils of the New Year's Resolution are, perhaps, best expressed in this excerpt of the transcript of the Great Yummish Retreat of 1993*:

“New Year's Resolutions create too much pressure. Change and renewal happen every day and no one should try to set the tone for the next 364 days while so very tired and hung over.”

Remember, no calendar system – even one so sophisticated as to give us Leap Years and “observed” holidays for extended 3-day weekends – is more powerful than your will. No calendar – even one of those glossy, motivational jobs – should harsh your Yum. Yes, some aspects of our lives are informed by the clock and the calendar, but, as a devotee of the YUM, you know that each day presents us with a chance to renew and rededicate ourselves as we exfoliate away the past and cleanse and condition ourselves for the future. (See Yummish Baptism)

(*Historical note: This was the last Great Retreat to be held in January. In 1994 the GRs were restructured to rotate among several Southerly coastal towns during the spring time academic hiatus. Consequently, it is the last GR for which we have a complete transcript and why the Yummish Council is no longer welcome in Okaloosa County, Florida. Again, Sheriff, we'd like to offer our most sincere apologies. We really had no idea ferrets would do that.)

Today's Yummish Exercise:
Let your calendar know who's boss. Also, check into that Chinese New Years thing.

Next: I had resolved to plan these lessons in advance, but...

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