As I write, sitting in my bunk watching the sun set over the
estuary, its 8 15 pm on New Years Eve.
Traditionally a time of good wishes to all, a time for making
resolutions about what will or will not be happening next year, a time for
family and friends and a time for reflection.
To be sure its only another marker on an artificial
calendar, but it’s a useful marker, one that is close to the longest day of the
year where I live and the shortest where a lot of my friends live. It’s a time
when we get holiday breaks, some of which have theist backgrounds, some that
are pagan but its still the end of year break.
Its also a time when advice tends to be handed out, much of
which causes me to look at the advisor and think, you should take your own
advice buddy and if you did you’d be better off than you are, but occasionally there
is a gem.
Heres one that I heard yesterday.
“When making New Years Resolutions, don’t make ones you know
damn well you wont keep, don’t make ones that you know are beyond your ability,
but try making one, and ones enough, that is well within your capacity to
achieve, and work on it until its done.
You’ll get a lot of satisfaction from that, whereas to vow and fail just
reinforces a defeatist position.”
That’s good advice, a bit wordy though. I’d put it thus--- “Get
yourself a mouthful of lifes good things, but don’t bite off more than you can
chew”.
All the very best to everyone for 2016.
John Welsford.
Happy 2016, John. Thanks so much for the great time I was able to spend in NZ. The things you taught me and that I learned are still with me today. I have yet to memoir Resolution, but the day will come. I promise.
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to reading that Charlie, it was a special time for all of us and it will be great to have your written take on it.
DeleteA very Happy 2016 to you both. As a designer and the builder of the first Sundowner you have inspired many including myself. Resolution lives on, I see glimpses of it every time I walk into my shed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Mal, your blog and postings on the Wooden Boat forum have been a huge help to a number of builders, thanks for that. Great for me to see you making a nice job of your ship as well, yes, I too see glimpses of the first one and I know that Charlie Whipple is watching too.
ReplyDeleteAll the best to you and yours for 2016
I would love to sail a Long Steps from Keyhaven - here's a valuable report on a Drascombe from Keyhaven. http://intheboatshed.net/2016/01/13/a-january-cruise-round-the-isle-of-wight-in-a-drascombe-and-how-it-all-went-wrong/
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