After you’ve found all of the new and exciting ways to eat turkey, drunk all of the eggnog (you freaks) and finally put away that Christmas jumper, your thoughts will undoubtedly start turning to New Year’s eve, getting pissed up with your crew, and finally, daring to wear those really uncomfortable new boots that you really wanted outside of the house.
As midnight rolls around, the conversation will doubtlessly start turning to resolutions, and even if you have no intention of making any and find the whole thing as bullshitty as it really is, your nearest and dearest are likely to start pressing you for change.
For my part, I’m not gonna stop smoking, I’m not gonna eat less, and I’m not gonna join the fecking gym, and once you’ve knocked those three old standbys out of the park, what you’re left with is a fairly sparse playing field of people-placators.
I find myself wondering too how The Everyday Goth got on with her rather large list from last year-in a neat twist of fate, I don’t know whether or not she learned to knit, but I did, even though it was not on my list!
But I am going to make a few promises to myself, about things I’m going to get the edge on in 2016.
Volunteer in Calais
As I have mentioned before, a couple of good friends of mine are regular or full-time volunteers in the huge, sprawling and sub-standard Calais refugee camp. The work that they are doing on the ground is now being matched by better organisation and structure of the volunteers’ time and resources there now too, and the Care4Calais charity (send money, go and help) is even trying to arrange hostel accom for willing volunteers.
This camp is only 20 miles from our shores, and people are going to die there over this winter. If there could be anything more acutely likely to shock me into renewing my passport, I can’t think what it might be.
Be nicer to my hair
Most Goths could fairly resolve to do this one, because even if you just dye a basic black, there is for sure a way to do it that is less harmful to your locks. I am trying to grow my hair, which is not helped by the injudicious application of bleach and dye every couple of months, so next year I intend to get my hair trimmed at least every three months, wash it every other day rather than every day, and maybe get my bleaching done in a salon where they have a more scientific method of knowing when to rinse than my own personal method of “the burning has become intolerable, it must be done.”
Get up in the mornings
Never one to leave my pit a second before I have to, I am one of those people who sleeps in until midday and stays up all night given half a chance. This kicks up a notch over the darkest months of the year, when I seem to contract some form of sleeping sickness and am physically unable to leave my bed before 2pm. I then spend the rest of the day grumpy because it is dark again two hours later, and everyone else has done a full day of work by the time I am ready for lunch.
I don’t really know how to put this one into action, but I am going to have a go. Yes, I said this last year too, and no, it did not work out too well for me.
See more of my parents
My parents live a five hour train ride from me, and a return trip never costs me less than £70. Even so, as a self-employed person who can work anywhere there is a table and an internet connection, I have no excuse for not seeing more of my parents, particularly given that they are now both in their late 60’s and won’t be around forever.
I generally see them twice a year (and have even gone 18 months between visits before) but my goal for 2016 is to see them at least four times. This is not unrealistic, so no more putting it off until next month.
What are your resolutions going to be? Tell me in the comments.
