Happy new year to all!

FROM MY FRONT PORCH

Happy new year to all!

SAM HOUSTON

Sam Houston is the publisher of the Hood County News. He is also an actor, author, playwright, performer and entertainment producer/promoter.

The new year is upon us and soon it will be 2023!

It is hard for me to imagine how we could be starting 2023; what the heck happened to 2022, or even 2021 for that matter? A friend of mine informed me time was all a sense of perspective. I think he may be on to something. If you were born in 1990, the 60s seem like ancient history. On the other hand, if you lived through the 60s, they are a very vivid part of your memory.

Reflect with me for a minute. When I was in grade school in the 60s, World War 1 occurred about 45 years earlier. It was a significant event, but to me it was as much ancient history as the civil war. Heck, my grandfather was too young to serve during World War 1, so it must have taken place a very long time ago, right? Counting back from this year to the 60s, it was more than 50 years ago. Oh my! Are the 60s ancient history?  Guess time is all about your own individual perspective.

Not sure folks celebrate New Year’s like they did 50 years ago. Back then it was the biggest night of the year. People planned extravagant parties, the restaurants were full, and the dance floors packed. I do not hear that sort of excitement about the start of the year nowadays. Some folks will go out and entertainment venues will be crowded, but people are more conscious about drinking and driving than they were years ago, and I speculate that has slowed down some of the revelry. Maybe New Year’s has lost its uniqueness and people choose other times of the year to celebrate. For me, I will be sitting on the sofa enjoying a quiet evening with my wife. After all, it is our anniversary.

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? Research shows that more than 141 million Americans will make a resolution this year, but unfortunately only 9% are successful in obtaining their resolution goals. With that information in hand, I want to share some resolutions that are reasonable, obtainable, and measurable. I thought it was important to not set a bar where I was destined to fail.

In 2023:

I resolve to eat more pie.

I resolve to fish regularly.

I resolve to spend more time with the group of friends referred to as “the band.”

I resolve to continue to watch my granddaughters grow up, smiling at both their adventures and growing pains.

I resolve to continue to drink aged rum, eat spicy Mexican food, love my neighbors, support my community, and enjoy quiet evenings at home with my sweet wife.

I feel good that I can accomplish these resolutions. For those of you folks who are trying to lose weight, eat healthy, learn a new language, or exercise, I wish you the best of luck. I have set my goals and I am confident my expectations can be fulfilled. These are my goals, and I am sticking to them!

Perhaps in 2023 we will see people come together and work to solve problems rather than continue to bicker. Perhaps we will all take the time to reach out to help one another, to serve our communities, and enjoy our shared life experiences. Maybe I am a cock-eyed optimist, but I believe 2023 is going to be our best year ever! You just wait and see.

Happy new year to all of you, from all of us at the newspaper. We look forward to bringing you the very best in 2023 and reporting on all the events and special moments of our collective lives.

May God bless us all!

Thought for the day: Jan 1 is the first blank page in a 365-page book. Write a good one!

Until next time.

sam@hcnews.com | 817-573-7066, ext. 260