The Write Thing

Did you get any letters at Christmas? I'm talking real letters. Hand-written. Not those mass-produced "how great our year was - bet it was better than yours" computer-printed essays.

I got two. And, I've read them both several times. For me, there is nothing better than sitting back in the recliner, hand-written letter in hand, and hearing my friends' voices as I read their words. They told me what they knew I'd love to hear about . They related things to past shared experiences. They were - well, personal.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoy those computer-printed letters but they somehow carry a bit of detachment with them. I still love to hear what my friends have done during the year. But, it's just not a special event to read them. (Matt & John, you're the exception to this. I can't wait to get your newsletter each year! Love them!!!)

When's the last time you wrote a letter to someone? I try to write at least two a month. This year, I'm upping the ante to one a week. I hope the recipients feel the same way I do when I get an honest-to-God letter.

Most friendly resolution on my list...doing the write thing each week.

BYOB

That's right...another one of my resolutions. And, I hope after you read this, you will make it one of yours.

Bring Your Own Bag.

Plastic bags are handy - but they cost way more than the convenience is worth. You're probably thinking "so, I get a few plastic bags a week, no big deal". But isn't it amazing to open the pantry door and have them attack you? They add up quickly. More quickly than you might believe...

• The average family of 4 uses 1,460 plastic bags a year.
• Plastic bags are made using petroleum (polyethylene).
• Every year Americans use 380 Billion plastic bags. Do you know how much oil that translates to? 12 million barrels! For plastic bags. EVERY year!!! (Just think if some of that could be diverted to one of the many other uses of oil. Maybe gas would be cheaper. Maybe we wouldn't have to kiss the butts of countries that don't like us so much. Maybe...)
• Do you know how long it takes a plastic bag to completely break down? 1000 years. Of course, the toxic chemicals from the break down start leaching into the ecosystem as soon as the bag is disposed of. Toxins from last decades bags have already started to make it into today's food chain. Think about that.

I remember the first plastic bag I ever got. I spent the summer of 1982 in Spain. A few days into my trip, I visited a popular Spanish department store and was given one filled with my purchases. I was amazed at how convenient and what a good idea they were. I couldn't imagine that we didn't have such a thing in the US. I mean, my goodness, I thought Chicago had everything.

When I returned home, I handed out gifts to people in the bags. Mom even took one into the grocery store she worked at. Everyone agreed that it would be so much easier to pack groceries into them than the paper bags that all the stores here used.

Apparently America fell in love with the concept of the bags because not too long after the summer of 1982, they started making their way into our society as well. Who knew then that they'd grow into menace they've become?

So...can you add another resolution to your list? We'll all get plastic bags somewhere along the line this year despite our best intentions. But I am going to do my best to avoid them by carrying my own bags every time I go out. And, you can bet that I'll recycle every plastic bag I do get this year. Hope you'll consider doing the same.

Blank!

It's January 1st and we've all just been handed a blank book with 365 pages. Isn't that exciting? We get to write our story for another new year.

Each page - each day - is ours to make of it whatever we want. We can choose the story. It is ours to create. Sure, stuff happens that we might not like and, unfortunately, send our story in a direction we hadn't anticipated. But, what is important on our page of the day is the way we choose to react to things beyond our control.

So, have you made any resolutions? Have you chosen a new habit to replace one you'd like to change? (That's the key to success, you know.)

I have a few resolutions. One of the most important is to end each page - each day - with a thought that reads "I'm glad I did" instead of "I wish I hadn't".

I'll share my other resolutions over the next several days. But I'll end here by saying...

"I'm glad I posted an entry today. I love writing and it's high time that I make it a priority in my life again." (Oops! Did I just give you another one of my resolutions?)

Happy New Year, everyone. Now, go write a good tale!