“And if I say again that daily to discourse about virtue, and of those other things about which you hear me examining myself and others, is the greatest good of man, and that the unexamined life is not worth living, you are still less likely to believe me.” -- Socrates in Plato's Apology
I do believe that examining our lives--reflecting on what has come before in order to create a better life moving forward--is important. But who could have known at the end of 2020 that January would be...well, so eventful? There was the storming of the Capitol within the first seven days of the new year, and while there are those who do not want to deal with the consequences of their actions now, I do believe that if we don't deal with them, there can be no real healing or moving forward for any of us here. There was the militarization of our nation's capitol. And there was the inauguration of a new president, which in the past has sparked very little in the way of interest for me. This was merely the process whereby our country continued to be and exist in the world. Had the attempted coup not happened, I don't know that I would have been as invested in what came after. That there are people in our government who want to deny or even praise what happened troubles me--more the denial than the praise, though. Praise I can chalk up to a difference in values, but denial is willful ignorance of the past. And that isn't something any of us should be happy with.
I also made some changes in my life to coincide with the new year; I wanted to change my outlook on life. Rather than simply existing in the world, I wanted to try and find a way to be a part of this chaotic mess that is life on planet Earth. Though, I can say that I very much envy the way of the hermit. Not having to interact with the rest of the world seems more of a blessing than a curse, though I do have to wonder what hermits do with all their time--what they learn, and why they made the choice to walk away from the world. Perhaps I'll look into that at some point.
Instead, though, I choose to work on my weight by merely beginning to write down what I ate each day. I was hoping to find trends in my eating habits, and I'm still working on that. Come February, I'll be looking to add exercise to my daily regimen. We'll see how that all works out.
I also decided to take a course on finding purpose and meaning in life. The things I am learning in class are definitely reflected in these first days of 2021, and as I'm learning more about how to craft a purpose and become purposeful in my life, I am taking in new concepts and revisiting some old ones and seeing them in new ways that, hopefully, will help me be more fulfilled not just this year, but for many years to come.
I've also been writing here for the past thirty days now, hoping to leave myself some inspirational thoughts for the coming year even as I practice writing--something that I love doing. Hopefully this will be a bright spot in future days to come. It has already offered me some valuable insights on my own capabilities and given me some ideas for improvement in that regard. Mostly, though, I was doing this to prove to myself that I could stick with something--and hopefully if I keep at it, some good will come of it.
Also, I have been taking a picture every day; the reason for this is a rather selfish one, but something that contributes to my happiness. I noted that seeing pictures on Facebook made me happier--especially if they were pictures of places I'd been and things I saw. I could recall some of the emotional content of that moment, and in reflecting upon it, I found in myself a deep contentment. So while the pictures I'm taking now may not have a lot of that "different place, new things" vibe, I do hope that when I look back on them I'll find some joy in having documented my days thusly.
Looking back over January's writings, I am amused to see that while some ideas were scrapped, the theme for the month really remained the same. I wanted to give meaning to this new year, and I think each of the posts I've written here have done that. To me, they reflect a genuine willingness to change, adapt, and accept this life and my own place within it. Not everything was perfect, but nothing in this life ever really is; perhaps in accepting imperfection, there is a perfectness to be found in that.
Looking ahead, I'll be sharing some of my favorite poems with you all in February. I want you to see the things I love and to share in them. Perhaps you'll find a new love, too. I haven't decided how much or how little I want to say about them, but I expect I'll want you to meet the poem where I am at; so, a little bit of explanation will be in order.
Part of the reason I'm doing poems next month is because I have always loved poetry. If there is any one thing I'd want to be known as after I'm gone, it would be to be known as a poet. I want to re-examine these poems, though--to consider why I love them; what, to me, makes them so good. I am hoping that by doing this I'll be able to improve my own writing and my own poems. And I expect they will inspire me in many ways, as I hope they will you.
I may not be a journalist or a great thinker; I am not an activist or philanthropist. But I am an ordinary person living a very ordinary life, and perhaps in documenting that, there is some later purpose. Or not. Either way, it's a good journey we've begun here, and I look forward to seeing where it will lead.
Thank you for coming with me, whoever you are. I hope that if I haven't helped, that at least I've given hope. Here's to the many paths to come!
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