Butch’s Suggestions for the New Year…

As we celebrate the birth of Christ and enjoy the holidays with our friends and families this week, we also are looking forward to the new year. Most people would agree that 2024 will not make the “Top Ten List of Favorite Years.” Crazy weather … including hot and dry spells in the summer and fall, zero wind chills in December, hurricanes, etc. etc. We can deal with those. But then there was inflation and high prices on just about everything … food, gas, housing, clothing and you name it. Then of course there was the national news, very little of which was encouraging. We had to worry about crime, illegals, race problems, woke fanatics, fake news, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Hamas and men in women’s sports and restrooms … and to top it off … the Presidential election, which thank the Lord is finally over! As one of my political science professors once said, we might be better off with a benevolent dictator … I hereby volunteer.

   On Jan. 1st, we can start over! Let’s hope that President Trump and his appointees can straighten out the mess of the last four years. Maybe he can … maybe not. Keep your fingers crossed. There’s not much that we can personally do to help resolve the national problems, so I suggest we just concentrate on ourselves, our families and our local communities. Here are my suggestions:

  You made a resolution last year to improve your health and get back into shape, didn’t you? We know how that turned out, so this coming year turn off the TV and go for a walk. Take your dog with you. Eat a balanced diet with healthy foods. You know the routine. Just do it … before it’s too late.

  Refrain from thinking about, or talking about, politics. If someone else starts in on the topic, change the conversation. If you are retired and are bored, get a part-time job. And if you don’t want to do that, be sure you find an enjoyable hobby to keep yourself busy. How about becoming a volunteer at a needy organization, or helping out your town or community in some way? And be sure to head to the library and select a good book … and read at least an hour each day to keep your mind active.

   The rest of my suggestions can be found in Robert Fulghum’s classic book, “All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.” I don’t care if you are 5 years old or 95 years old, here are a few things from his list that you should do:

“Live a balanced life – learn some and drink some and draw some and paint some and sing and dance and play and work everyday some … Take a nap every afternoon … When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together … Be aware of wonder … and remember that warm cookies and cold milk are good for you … I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent than history. That dreams are more powerful than facts. That hope always triumphs over experience. That laughter is the only cure for grief. And I believe that love is stronger than death.”

   I would like to add one more suggestion, which I learned from my grade school teachers – Marian Couger, Tessie Stwalley, Naomi Peterson and Audrey Cox … “Tell someone how much you appreciate them, and give them a big hug.” And remember what Scarlett O’Hara said near the end of “Gone With the Wind” … “After all, tomorrow is another day.” Have a great 2025!!!

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 35 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.