2014 - The Honest Truth

This will not be your typical Year In Review or New Year Resolutions essay.  I made a few resolutions last year, and actually kept the majority of them, even though it was mostly by accident rather than some well thought out plan of action.  My heart wasn't in it then and I'm not especially motivated this year, either.  I don't even have a bucket list.  I figure if there's something I really want to do I'll find a way to do it as soon as I can, without the added stress of death looming as a deadline.  So I'm not making any promises, pledges or commitments.  I will, however, offer up some expectations about what will happen in 2014. What qualifies me to express these things with high probability is nearly 60 years of living.  One gains a lot of insight and experience in that amount of time. 
1.   More and more people around the world will work harder and make extra effort to be helpful, positive, caring, tolerant and supportive of each other.  They will make things better for many others.
2.   Unfortunately, there will also be more fanatics and lunatics who don't tolerate any lifestyle or belief system that isn't the same as theirs.  They will cause big problems for many others.
3.   The two-party political system will suffer huge losses.  Too many people are fed up with this whole Democrat and Republican thing.  Independent and common sense candidates will experience big gains in popularity.
4.   Haters will hate.
5.   Lovers will love.
6.   More people will be willing to intervene and act if they see rude, mean or bad things happening.
7.   Unfortunately more people will act out in rude, mean or bad ways. 
8.   The internet, social media and technology will rage on.
9.   Young people will be smarter and more aware. (But, thankfully, kids will still be kids.)
10. The sun will rise and set.  Every day.  Wherever you are.

Now here are my predictions for...me.

I will go to work every day, and come home every night.  Except when I don't go to work.  Those days I will make every effort to find some new (or repeat a favorite) adventure.  I will make more art, take more pictures, and go a little deeper into the woods.  And spend more time cultivating friendships with some very awesome and amazing people who I happen to know.
This is how my year looks so far -

Pretty much a clean slate. It will be fun and interesting to see what develops, is framed, or put on canvas this year.  As, Mr. Petty put it, "the future is wide open."

Roger O'Dea     1/1/2014