I’ve never been one for New Year’s resolutions. On the occasions when I have made them, they’ve fallen apart well before that rodent in Punxsutawney, Penn., pops out of his hole.
On the other hand, there’ve been several non-calendar-related resolutions that I’ve made and stuck to quite well. For example, I haven’t eaten a hamburger in more than a decade, and it’s almost two years since I’ve had soda.
Despite those steps, and some others – avoiding salt, donuts, egg yolks and white bread – it seems that I currently weigh more than ever. I rest the blame squarely on my profession, because in order to bring our readers the best local sports coverage possible, I do a lot of sitting.
Whether driving to various sporting venues or locating myself strategically in the bleachers to watch the action or settling down in front of a keyboard to relay what happened, I am resting on one of my biggest assets.
Then, of course, when the games are over and the stories are written and I need a diversion from the teams and names and stats bouncing around in my brain, I plop onto the couch with, oh, maybe a piece of pie – sorry, but pie will never be part of any resolution that I make – and read or watch a bit of television.
To summarize, I am dreadfully out of shape – unless that shape is a guy in his 40s who needs to lose at least 20 pounds.
What to do? Well, I guess I need to make a resolution of some sort, and it just so happens that, while I was pondering all of this, 2005 slipped out the back door, letting in a stranger called 2006.
Technically, then, you may want to refer to this as an official New Year’s Resolution, but the timing is just a coincidence. The real motivation has been witnessing the poor physical specimen I’ve become.
I used to play pick-up basketball once a week and could run full-court for two hours with only a couple of water breaks, but now – during snow emergencies in Portland, when I need to park my car at Fitzpatrick Stadium – the walk up Bramhall Hill to my apartment tuckers me out.
And so, here is my resolution: I will, starting right now, find time to exercise every day. No excuse is acceptable, because no matter how busy I may be with work and errands, and no matter how tired I may be, none of that is as important as my health.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am heading out the door for a walk. It may be early in the morning and a bit nippy outside, but I have a pledge to keep.
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