THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 31, 1995 TAG: 9512290313
SECTION: CAROLINA COAST PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Editorial
SOURCE: Ronald L. Speer
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
This is the day millions of people make billions of New Year's resolutions. I've done it often myself over the years.
And I were a stick-to-it type of guy, I'd be a thin, sharply dressed dude who disdained a drink, never smoked and pedaled a bike all over town.
I'd have a huge savings account, I'd know everyone in my church, I'd praise more and whine less, I'd help a little old lady across Highway 64 every day.
But as anyone who knows me is well aware, that's not the real me. And since over the years it has become obvious that I don't seem to have the determination necessary to live up to New Year's resolutions, I rarely make them.
It's terribly frustrating to take out my list of resolutions a few months later and realize that I haven't kept any of the promises I made so enthusiastically on New Year's Eve.
But I do make New Year's lists, usually of what I consider the necessities of a good life. They change every year. A comfortable easy chair would never have been on the list 20 years ago, for example.
So let me share with you on this final day of 1995 the people and places and things that I believe will help make 1996 a super year:
A special friend, a person with whom you can travel for hours without a word, who brightens the day no matter the circumstances. This can be a wife or a husband, a man or a woman, a relative or a co-worker, a son or a daughter, or all of the above.
A good barber, a person who knows how to listen as well as talk.
A safe - but frisky - boat. People who live in the Albemarle and don't have a boat will never know how beautiful the area is, because it can be seen best only from the water.
A trustworthy auto mechanic. As cars get more and more complicated, most of us haven't the foggiest idea what is wrong with a balky vehicle, and trust is our only safeguard against ripoffs.
A clean, well-stocked food market where the clerks seem happy and the produce smells and looks like it has just been picked.
A tail-wagging dog.
A job you like that pays enough to keep a roof over your head and food on the table.
Any kind of a hobby that requires you to use your hands, from baking bread to playing the piano to knitting sweaters.
A bookstore that has old books, new books, good books, bad books, run by people who know that reading is fun.
A cafe where morning coffee-drinkers are welcome, and your cup never runs dry.
A well-lighted hardware store packed with interesting widgets as well as the basics.
A plot of ground, no matter how small, that is yours to till and grow things.
A public library that has provided unmatched pleasure to everyone in town and may be modern man's most rewarding creation.
A sports coat that makes you feel handsome and perfectly dressed wherever you wear it.
Neighbors who have the gift of knowing when you want or need company, when you want or need to be left alone.
Far-away friends who still like to write letters.
An intimate eatery where the food is good, the service is excellent and the scenery is soothing to the soul.
A friendly church with a pastor who believes the Lord is kind, and forgiving.
A child who sees in you the person he'd like to grow up to be.
An easy-chair that seems made for your body.
As you can quickly tell, I'm into simple things, readily attainable. Your lists probably would be much different. If you'll write down the things that you consider necessary for a good life send the list to me at P.O. Box 10, Nags Head, N.C. 27959, and I'll share it with other readers. by CNB