Well I’m going all out here with doing the tradition. I’ve done a retrospect, very thin, very short retrospect but I did one just the same. In keeping with the whole end of one year, start of another year tradition, here is my list of things I would like to do in 2008.

1. actually learn how to play the real version of a guitar. I think it’s sort of sad that, as a camper, I cannot play the guitar and every campfire screams “play something”.

2. be much more disciplined with the things that I am responsible for. Somehow I have allowed myself to give the things that were given to me as a Gift to take a lesser role in my life when they need to be my life.

3. go rock climbing. It’s to the point where I don’t care if it’s indoors or outside, I have this inexplicable need to climb something not related to steps or trees.

4. move beyond the fear gripped mic moments. I have a friend in whom I have given more trust to than he is aware of and every time he has me in front of a crowd and hands me a mic my brain goes into scramble mode. He may be convinced that he himself makes me nervous when in reality it’s the whole mic moment that is my undoing, not good for either of our psyches.

5. give away more this year. Don’t be lining up with your hand out thinking I’m gonna empty my bank account, that’s not what is required of me. I need to give away more of myself, more of my time, more of my love, more of everything that is me and to learn to forgive when I have given myself away and the recipient has thrown it in the trash or done something vile with it.

6. learn to live a little farther out/back. I tend to live for the moment seldom thinking about the moments that have passed or the days ahead. I have a plan for the coming days but I don’t have them stapled to anything leaving too many opportunities for change.

7. continue to jump in with my eyes open and both feet into the Mystery. I think I did pretty good with that in the last year but still found myself walking to the shallow end when the pool of love washed over my head, is it possible to drown in love?

8. write more poetry and care a lot less what the readers will think. I’m not sure why I care in the first place when it comes to my poetry, curious.

9. restrain myself. Sometimes I can look like a crack head hamster desperately searching for it’s exercise wheel and no CV and Elusive it is NOT related to my coffee consumption. I’ve actually cut out the intravenous drip cutting my consumption in half. Yes you should be afraid but I’m working on it.

10. surround myself with more roses. Last year I stepped farther into the flower shop and got cut up pretty bad so this year I’m going to pick my path more carefully maybe stick around longer in the carnation section, they’re nice and soft.

11. continue to take over the world. Yes, continue, one or two at a time.

I would love to know how you plan to make ‘08 different from ‘07.