Failed New Year’s Resolutions

What’s up guys? I told you my new years resolutions wouldn’t last past the first week! But, basically my dog died of cancer and it’s been a really tough time for me lately, I just didn’t have the energy to post y’know?… (April fools! My dog did die of cancer, but June last year, so a bit of a while ago to use as an April fools joke…)

So far I’ve also failed resolutions numbers 1; 2; 4; 9; 11; 13 and 14. Wow, I’m really not good at this stuff! By the end of this year I’ll have a completely different set of resolutions to those I started out with, yet they’ll be no more complete than the first batch. Isn’t it novel how we also set goals for ourselves each year, and we make plans to achieve them, and we’re so certain that this year will be the year, that 2013 is the time to commit, yet nothing ever changes? But hey, as Billy Joel says, ‘you’re only human, you’re allowed to make your share of mistakes’.

In fact, this has proven itself to me in such a way over these past few months. People have had more than their fair share of unforgivable ‘mistakes’. It’s funny how those you expected to stay closest to you and support you have left you, and those who you expected to ditch you the minute you got on the plane have been there for you the whole entire time. I actually thought me and my best friend in England would say together forever. I bought a beautiful swallow bracelet as a goodbye/birthday present to remember me by, and I wrote her letters, but all I got was the letters weren’t long enough, and that she couldn’t handle me anymore. Gee, there’s not that much to handle but ok. Another thing I’ve noticed is everywhere, England and South Africa, there are always some really insensitive people.

South Africa: ‘I have too many friend troubles over the years, she’s the only one who understands me’ …Oh, you don’t think I had trouble leaving behind the best group of friends I’ve ever had for a country I’ve visited once?

England: ‘South Africa has changed you’ ‘I can’t handle this’ and ‘you can’t just use your move as an excuse for everything’… Um, how has South Africa changed me? Have I’ve suddenly become black and Zulu, or Afrikaans (I don’t think I have…)? And you can’t handle this? If you can handle ‘this’ (whatever this is) then you can’t handle much in life. And until you’ve moved internationally, you can’t make any of those judgments.

But there will always be people like that. As my good friend Nomz told me, there will always be people who want to make you feel like rubbish, but we mustn’t let them have the control and satisfaction. We must rise above them, for we know that we are better than that.

Except she included a lot more swear words.

I guess what I’m trying to say is (and I apologise for how very corny this is) cherish your good friends. It might be hard to determine good from bad in everyday life, but in times of difficulty, you know who they are.

I’ll end with two very different, yet totally relevant quotes today:

‘ “Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind. “Pooh?” he whispered.
“Yes, Piglet?”
“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s hand. “I just wanted to be sure of you.” ‘ 

AA Milne, Winnie the Pooh

‘The truth is, everyone is going to hurt you. You just got to find the ones worth suffering for.’

Bob Marley