New Year Resolutions 2

Last time I wrote somewhat facetiously about my New Year resolution to be conscientious in shredding all the old financial documents that had been accumulating in the “paperless society” which we had been promised.

Today, I have a more serious resolution which will not be so easy to keep.  It is to live according to the rule to do unto others as I would have them do unto me i.e. the Golden Rule as it is commonly called.  In some ways this makes perfect sense.  After all, who doesn’t have a clear idea of how they want to be treated by others?  The ideas may differ from person to person, but it seems to be a universal truth that all people know when they haven’t been treated as they believe they deserve to be treated.  So, it seems to make perfect sense that we should treat others the same way.  However, in practice it certainly is not that easy. 

Take a simple example.  You are walking along a city street and are approached by someone who has a somewhat disreputable appearance.  You know pretty well what is going to happen next.  They are going to ask you for some spare change or enough money for something to eat.  Your defenses automatically go up and you wonder what you should do.  Perhaps you should ignore them and walk on by quickly.  Or perhaps you wonder if this person is really in need or is it a scam?  Or perhaps you wonder if they will just use the money for something less appropriate than food such as cheap wine or other drugs.  You ask yourself if they are deserving of your help. 

Lorna and I were in a Tim Horton's in London last week in a part of the city that has a strong representation of homeless people.  While in line I was asked by someone nearby for money to buy a muffin.  I did give him a Toonie, but I haven’t delved into the thought process in coming to that decision.  That is just a small example of what should be a relatively straightforward case.  I do not always respond that way to such requests for various reasons as I noted above.  If we want to make the Golden Rule our way of life, it truly will complicate things. 

C.S. Lewis addressed the challenge of a Golden Rule New Year resolution:

I may repeat ‘Do as you would be done by’ till I am black in the face, but I cannot really carry it out till I love my neighbour as myself; and I cannot learn to love my neighbour as myself till I learn to love God: and I cannot learn to love God except by learning to obey him. 

So, I guess the best way is to start with the small things – small steps in keeping my resolution at least some of the time.  Something to consider on your Journey through 2025.

New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year to all.  I am not one who usually makes New Year Resolutions, and I was not intending to do so this year.  However, looking at the accumulation of financial records in various places, I decided that I should make a resolution to make a concerted effort to shed many of the old ones and recycle the results.

 I have not done much in this area i.e. shredding files, for about two years since Lorna’s foundling cat Trixie gave birth to kittens and discovered that shredded paper makes great bedding for kittens.  Well, you can imagine how the files have been collecting since then.  I remember when computers first arrived on the scene and there was a lot of talk about our lives being paperless.  This proved to be less than prophetic for many years as computers actually seemed to increase the use of paper.  In any case, there are signs that the paperless era of this may actually be coming to fruition as the smartphone and other advances take hold.  Banks etc. are doing all they can to have you sign up for electronic records.  However, I am stubbornly holding firm with the cohort that likes to have a printed record of such things as well as resisting reading books and other documents on-line. 

This does mean that files do keep piling up and filling the available space.  Ergo, the need to use that paper shredder we bought some years ago for documents which have personal information we don’t want to end up in the wrong hands.  So, I will make a conscious effort to be more faithful in taking care of old records.  I was inspired on New Year's Day to start on this journey of keeping resolutions and began making good use of the shredder which, I am happy to say, still works well.   I have a green garbage bag full of the results so far which I will put out for recycling this week.

I realize that, as New Year's Resolutions go, this is a less than inspiring one.  However, that is where inspiration has landed at the beginning of 2025.

May all your resolutions be fruitful on your journey through this New Year.

Happy New Year to all and to all a good day – with apologies to Tiny Tim.