Tabula Rasa

Monday, January 02, 2022

Well, we’re off to the next twelve months. And with a clean start or wishing that could be so. Today’s news is full of ideas we can incorporate for happiness, sociability, and productivity. We can improve our ways of eating, can start exercising happily, can employ more useful better and good habits. That’s only the beginning. There are books to read, movies to see, music not-to-miss, and travel experiences for world-broadening and sightseeing.

Here at home in Central Oregon, I welcome the new year. My first notion of this year’s clean slate is wrapped to this winter’s ending: more sunshine, longer daylights, less muck for wading through to care for outside animals, and lighter outerwear easing physical movements.

My second notion is that tabula rasa evokes a mood relevant to this time of year. Longer daylights let us lengthen our sightings and we can imagine a future that’s fresh and more meaningful. Actually, that’s true, because we’re twelve months older with more experience in living. These will make the twelve months ahead different in meaningful ways. Our task as a new year begins is to reflect back, think ahead, and consider the added value of more understanding and potential.

By reflecting, assessing, and recognizing, we are preparing for action. We really never face a blank life slate, but by pausing periodically, like at the year-end, and evaluating past life experiences, we might find some areas that offer new opportunities. Most will be small with maybe a few large, but changes will add to our experience and wisdom.

Ah, we’ll replay all this next December 31st, and next January 01.

Dear Friends: Central Oregon, cold and sunshiny, invites today as a good starting point. Diana