Ruralite Cafe: Published 01/04/01

By Lisa Majors-Duff News Editor

Snow, snow and more snow

As I sit at my desk Tuesday, Jan. 2, wishing for a blanket and a cup of boiling green tea, I regret that laughter and do hereby make my first New Year's resolution: Put more stock in the old way of doing things.

The person I overhead talking about the weather said you could predict how many more snowfalls there'd be this winter by the date of the first snow. Since the first snow fell on Nov. 16, she said, we could except 16 more. That's what her grandpa always said.

"There's no way," I said, fondly remembering last winter's gentle and fleeting kiss of cold weather for these parts. As I sit in the Cafe today, eating those words, I listen as Lynn, Carey and Harold talk about the last time they saw a December as cold and white as this one.

Moving on with my list of resolutions, I have decided to put less stock in news from the scientific world. Did anyone else hear the NPR wrap up of last year's research findings by the world's most renowned researchers employed at the most prestigious universities? I was amazed and terrified by many of the stories the first time they were reported.

Take for example the one that said children who used nightlights were more likely to be nearsighted as adults. As the mother of a nightlight-loving 6-year-old, this finding concerned me. I was only able to overcome my fear by realizing that if this were indeed true, most of the damage had already been done to my child. And besides, she's got heredity going against her when it comes to vision.

Now it turns out that my concern may have been for naught. Seems this and many other so-called "scientific findings" of 2000 have not been duplicated in subsequent experiments or, even more bizarre, the findings have been reversed. I guess this resolution could be: Put less stock in the new way of doing things.

My third New Year's resolution is one I make every year and never seem to fulfill - to finish more books. While some folks will resolve at this time of year to simply read more, I again find myself in the middle of four books. These are not bad books that after 30 or so pages I know I don't want to finish. I want to finish them all. Listen to these titles - "The Body Farm" by Patricia Cornwell and recommended by co-worker Cindy; "Black Market" by James Patterson and recommended by my mom; "Where the Heart Is" by Billie Letts and recommended by Rose; and "The Hunt for Red October" by Tom Clancy and recommended by my husband, who over the holidays sat down at 6 one evening and did not move until 5 the next morning so he could finish the last 700 pages of Clancy's latest novel. Maybe that's what I should do, just sit down, ignore dinner, ignore the dishes, ignore the clock and plow through a couple of these books.

Finally, what list of New Year's resolutions would be complete without physical fitness. I've managed to get in somewhat better shape over the last year since last year's resolutions. But I must admit that I've been slipping a little of late. So I've decided that since we've got all this snow I carelessly laughed at in November, I should take advantage of it and start skiing again.

Though I purchased my ski jacket nine years ago for a trip to Whiteface Mountain in Lake Placid, N.Y., it still looks brand new. That's because I thought I was going to die on Whiteface Mountain on Christmas Day 1991. Until then I thought going to the top of the mountain at Cataloochee was challenging. Now I know why the Winter Olympics were held at Whiteface in 1980. A trip this weekend back to Cataloochee may be just what I need.

Making plans for a new year allows us to release the mistakes and failures of the last 12 months. Whether we resolve to be a better people, better family members or better employees, the new year gives us 365 brand new days to live up to our own expectations. Happy New Year!

Back to Archive: 01/04/01.