Ok, so hate probably isn't the right word. I don't really hate the New Year. I mean, I do dislike the fact that it will take me until around May to remember to say/write 2010 instead of 2009, at which point, it will take me about three months to remember to say that I am 24 instead of 23, and it will be about time to prepare for a new calendar year. Although, as a friend of my pointed out, how much easier will life be when we can say twenty-ten instead of two-thousand and nine? I mean that alone, would probably save at least eight, maybe even ten, seconds a year. Just think what you could do with that kind of time?! (And your thinking has used up all of the time that you saved!) That would be enough to love the New Year. But alas, I seem to be in a habit so I will continue to say two-thousand and ten. Just think how many professional documents I will have to start over before I get my mental clock set on the right decade? (Speaking of which, what would you call this decade that we are in? The teens? That can't be a good sign for any of us. Parents and teachers of adolescents, give me an amen.)
But here is my real beef with New Year's. Resolutions. No, I am not about to go on some rant about whether we should or should not make resolutions or whether making resolutions are effective. Clearly, they are just not effective; no discussion necessary. No, I am frustrated with the way that resolution-makers disrupt my life. You see, I went to the gym yesterday for the first time in 2010 (twenty-ten), and it was an awful experience. I did not make a resolution to be healthier this year, I simply decided that I needed to stop being a victim of my circumstances (my circumstances being that I don't feel like walking/running/riding my bike to the gym, and that I am "enjoying the culture" at every meal) and get my butt in gear. But these other people were there for all of the wrong reasons; I could see it written on their faces.
I mean, I remember this phenomenon at Drake. At the beginning of every school year and every January, there would be this surge of temporarily fitness conscious students. But by late February or early March, the crowds would be back to normal. But at Oxford, these crowds (which were large by any standard, and only serve to get larger as the majority of students aren't even back on "campus" yet) make an inconvenient workout facility unbearable. After all, we only have one mirror in the "weight room" and so, naturally, all of the exercises must be completed there. So if you are doing a superset using the bench that is positioned in front of the mirror, you will likely be prevented from finishing by guys doing curls (which don't require a bench OR mirror). Even when they are done, it is likely that they will stand there looking at themselves to ensure that they are resting properly. All of the resolvers are preventing us life-stylers from accomplishing our goals.
So, if you REALLY want to make a fitness resolution, I would recommend using the Chinese New Year or starting in June because, right now, the gyms are likely to be too crowded by the undedicated, and you don't want that kind of temporary commitment to tarnish your pure passion for healthy eating and exercise.
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