about resolutions

i don't really make new year's resolutions.  pretty much the last one i remember making was to no longer make resolutions.  sure, at this time of year i think about things like eating better, being nicer to my kids, being nicer to myself, getting exercise... but i don't resolve to do anything.  this year i believe i have happened upon an accidental resolution.  in november, i started running, almost daily.  i am not crazy about any routine exercise, i don't like exercise classes and i have a difficult time motivating myself.  but this has been different - this feels like a gift i am giving myself, every time i head out.  no, it is not always a blast but i am always glad that i am doing it and for some reason in my life right now, it is not even that hard to make myself go.  so the reason this feels like a new year's resolution is because here we are, the new year is upon us and i am in the habit of running, so it is easy, so easy that it feels like a treat, to resolve to continue to run for myself.

herewith, some things i have discovered that i love about running:

quiet time by myself

if i go in the morning i get to enjoy it all day

all i need is a pair of running shoes

i don't have to wait for anyone

i don't need to be on anyone else's schedule

i can move at my own pace

i can walk if i feel like it

i can go for as far (or short) as i please

my mind wanders to corners i could not will it to go if i tried
nothing has to be open for me to go
i am ALWAYS happy when i am done

there's a first for everything

I have been thinking about this for years, writing a blog that is.  There are so many different ideas floating around in my head and I could really use an outlet for some of my ranting.  Certainly, not everyone will be interested in my random thoughts, but I want to put them down on paper (so to speak).  I have delayed this moment for so long for so many reasons, not the least of which is plain and simple procrastination.  Recently I have found myself really wanting to write and so today, I have taken this desire as impetus to push past the wall of the almighty power of procrastination.


Today I am gripped by thoughts of world power and dominance.  I think, and believe that many will agree, that Earth is not in such great shape, physically, mentally or emotionally.  I am a naturopathic physician, my training teaches me to react to dis-ease by looking for the root cause and facilitating factors.  Here, a leap: I like men.  I have a lot of men friends.  I am married to a man.  There are many men for whom I have great respect.  But as the dominant sex in global power, men are really fucking up.  Could women do better?  I don't know, but I don't think we could do any worse in terms of taking care of our patient, Earth.  Are men causing all of the world's problems?  Nope, probably not.  But when something is clearly not working (as evidenced by recent populous global uprisings), then things need to change and I really think that if we women would harness our collective power and effect the changes we believe in, Earth could start to feel better.  So men are not necessarily the root cause of all the world's problems, but the power they wield is most certainly a facilitating factor in Earth's dis-ease.  As women, how do we communicate effectively in order to claim the power we have?  How do we band together to effect change, to create the world we believe is possible?  Thousands of years of submission make it difficult, but it is not impossible - we are fully half of the world population, that means there are 3.5 billion of us.  We have modern technology on our side.  For me, this is a start.