Five Resolutions

originally published December 26, 2007

1. Ask names.

If you're like me, you run into people all the time whom you know but you can't remember their names. It's okay to ask. It's better to risk being re-introduced to your second cousin than to carry on countless conversations while wracking your brain for a name. "Who are you?" clears the air. If she turns out to be your wife, well… (My own wife's mother was at a reunion of teachers and ran into an old friend with whom she had started out teaching. When the subject of husbands came up, my future mother-in-law asked her friend, "Who did you marry?" "Well, I…" came the reply, "uh, uh…" and then she pointed, "That man over there."

2. Slow Down.

Taught by my father, I have always prided myself on being able to drive fast safely, or at least under control. But he taught me to drive 80 miles an hour on Highway 15 between Greensboro and Sparta, when other traffic was rare. Now, you have to go 80 on I-85 just to keep up. That's crazy, because although you and I are perfectly good drivers at that speed, we're being passed by people talking on cell phones, putting on makeup, swatting kids, watching television, drinking beer, changing CDs or enjoying road rage. If they make a slight misjudgment, you're hit with a rolling catastrophe of a pileup. You can get to anywhere in Atlanta by going in on Hwy. 78 through Monroe. It's four-lane all the way, more once you reach the Stone Mountain Freeway, and you can go straight to Lenox on N. Druid Hills Road off the Freeway. I'm taking 78 whenever I can.

Slow down in Athens, too. If you see me flying down Prince Ave., remind me of my resolution. I can get to work five minutes faster if I drive 45 and make the lights, but you might be out there crossing the street or riding a bike. Five minutes is not worth my risking your life and mine. Speaking of crossing the street, I frequently try it at The Grit on Prince. Saturday night, Dec. 15, when it rained, I was standing there at about 6:50 p.m. in the downpour watching the cars speed by ignoring the sign telling them to stop for pedestrians in the crosswalk. Finally, there came a lull; with only one car approaching, I started across. Sure enough, that one car sped right on by as I stopped in the crosswalk. It was brown, with Clarke County Sheriff's Deputy written all over it in yellow paint.

3. Hear Music.

If you're already out there, you know how rich it is. If you're not, you may think late-night prog rock is all you'll find, while wrecking tomorrow's workday. Hey, it's The Calendar, stupid! Study this document in the middle of Flagpole and online. Look at the music listings along with the theatre and other performances. If you look closely, you'll begin to realize how many music events - both on campus and off - start at a decent hour, getting you home in time for a good night's sleep. You'll also see what an eclectic mix we have: classical, blues, bluegrass, jazz, rock, country, rap, folk, etc., performed by good musicians serious about their art. You'll also find that we've got some really neat venues, where you can get up close to the music and watch as well as listen. The more you go, the more you'll want to go. As an added bonus, going out to music will also get you out of the house and going to plays, art openings, comedians, serious (and funny) cinema, and the like. Why live in Athens and not enjoy our best entertainment?

4. Do Unto Others.

We're in hard times, folks. It may not look like it as long as credit holds out, but more and more people no longer have that option. As usual, the crunch starts at the bottom and moves up. You and I may not notice it yet, but plenty of people have already, and it's closing in on more. The war is sucking up our national resources, and our government is retrenching on the very services that cushion hard times. I am resolving to demand leaders who will end this stupid war and its ruinous drain on our national treasure. That's the first step. Next, we've got to make government take the cost of health care and its lack off of our citizens and the businesses that currently provide the bulk of their health insurance. Meanwhile, let's all try to help out in any way we can - through churches, the Salvation Army, the Northeast Georgia Food Bank, and all the other agencies that with our help can help others. For more info on this subject, go to www.handsonnortheastgeorgia.org.

5. Do Unto Yourself.

Walk more; eat less; drink less; ride a bike. I resolve to accomplish at least three out of four of these health enhancements in 2008, and, of course, you know you should, too. You don't need to hear it from me. The more you walk, the more you enjoy it and look forward to it and the better you feel. The less you eat, the less you want. Same with alcohol. Less is more. Just do it.

Pete McCommons

editor@flagpole.com