may the new year be kind
I built (assembled a pre-built) wooden clock a few years ago that I tracked the past year with (using manually updating knobs for the day, weekday and month). Two quotes printed on the clock feel relevant to me right now:
Another year, another season. Change is only time, unchanged is waiting.
and
Time cannot add to a person's life, but cherishing time can make life more valuable.
Both quotes ring true in their own ways. At risk of becoming incoherently referential, the first quote brings another two to my mind:
Get so depressed when people say "The more things change more they stay the same."
— Black Dresses on their song Wounded Animal
also
Suffering may not be inherent to life, but unsatisfactoriness is.
— Sam Harris
Alright, enough quotes. I don't think I'm the first (or last) person to feel like I continue to face the same problems year after year, or generally feel stuck and confused.
"Waiting or "unsatisfactoriness" feel like accurate words when the hubub of the day is done (or more often recently when it never started).
I guess I am neglecting how blessed (or ignorant) I am that my days aren't full of pain and suffering; and the discomfort I feel may be me knowing I could do a hell of a lot more for my fellow man than I currently do. Posting here is a (tiny) start. Actually doing and acting on what I post is the step often missing. Change that this week.
The second quote from the clock needs much less explanation. A post from early 2024 on gratitude journaling is still very much relevant as something for me to practice in the week(s) to come.
Lastly, I have consolidated my online presence around the word I found in a crossword puzzle in gradeschool and plan to post here (very consistently) going forward.
May the new year be kind to us.
Wish you all the best.
— Greg