A BOOMER'S NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION
Task 1, January 11 to January 18
“May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s Resolutions”. Joey Adams
Ok. I forgot, which is not unusual–and I won’t blame it on age, because I’ve always been absent minded–SO, better late than never, here are the 2026 New Year’s Resolutions for me, and for the rest of you, should you be in need of resolutions.
I will stay open-minded, but not that open.
I will flush the toilet after I pee, which I currently don’t on an irregular basis, which makes my wife crazy, but I don’t flush because I’m uncouth or unsanitary, but because my father went to work VERY early in the morning which meant he went to bed VERY early in the evening and my brother and I were forbidden to flush the toilet while he slept, so non-flushing is ingrained in me, and I tell me wife that if she has a beef to blame Betty Shore, not me. Not that Betty Shore would have listened to my wife, because my mother’s rules were not changeable, or even open for discussion.
I will admit when I don’t understand something… after explaining it anyway. (The fine print: I WILL admit to not understanding, but I WILL never admit to being wrong).
I will listen more. Then respond with a story about myself. (Sorry, but I’m not sorry).
I will tell everyone to stop doom-scrolling, but continue to do so myself.
I will pause before reacting, then react anyway. (This is new for ‘26. Previously I didn’t pause).
I will stop using my podcast to belittle Gen-Zers. (Well, I’ll try…)
I will talk about what I’m feeling instead of lying, deflecting, or laughing derisively.
I will apologize. (This is going to be difficult, considering the last time I apologized Bill Clinton was in office), and I will not qualify the apology by saying “‘but.’”
I will stop gritting my teeth when my sons talk about how easy it was for boomers. (If it was so easy, then you start out in backwoods Ohio without a computer, a cell phone, an internet; when the prime rate was 14%+, without Uber to get you around, and you couldn’t swipe to meet a girl–you had to summon up the courage to actually talk to them–and the influencers were Captain Kangaroo and J. Fred Muggs).
Ignoring number 10, I will accept that progress can be incredibly annoying but still progress.
I will grow as a person. As long as I don’t have to change.
Task: I will work on these. One a month for 2026. And I’ll let you know how it goes.