Tags
I gave up writing New Years’ resolutions many years ago. It seemed I put more effort into making them than keeping them. That’s not to say that I don’t resolve to accomplish great things during the year; I do. And 2014 was a good year in that respect.
Among others, I resolved to travel more, and I did. The big event was an 18 day adventure in Argentina that included many kilometers driven on gravel roads, hikes into remote mountain lakes, and “up close and personal” with one of the world’s most iconic glaciers. Other travel took me back to my homeland, into some National Parks, to a coastal Canadian hideaway, and the bloodiest three-day battlefield in our nation’s history.
I also resolved to write more, and I did. My Tesla book returned to stores and to sales that surpassed even its first year, while a second Tesla book hit the electronic airwaves. A magazine feature, two articles on the Smithsonian Civil War studies site, and an article on Lincoln’s math skills in The Lincolnian all joined dozens of short articles on three separate blogs.
And yet there were unresolved resolutions as well. While I did travel, I wanted to travel more exotically. While I did write, I wanted to finish the Lincoln book proposal and have it in the hands of a publisher. While I did spend time with old friends and met new ones, I wanted to do more of both.
Lincoln in his Gettysburg Address called on all of us to “here highly resolve” to accomplish “the unfinished work” that remained. While certainly I can’t equate resolving to achieve my own unfinished work with the higher cause Lincoln extolled, “in a larger sense,” I can strive for “a new birth of freedom” to travel, to write, and to ensure that “the people” who mean the most to me don’t perish from my Earth.
© David J. Kent 2014
David J. Kent is the author of Tesla: The Wizard of Electricity and Nikola Tesla: Renewable Energy Ahead of Its Time.
nonsmokingladybug said:
Liked what I read today. I need to snoop around your blog 🙂 Merry Christmas
LikeLike
davidjkentwriter said:
Thanks. Hope you like it.
LikeLike
Barbara H. Horter said:
You are doing wonderful things with your writing and also with your resolve to continue on in all the quests you named…bravo! Would that we all could be as you in your efforts! Continue on in health and peace and the joy your writing brings! Thank you for your continued sharing!
LikeLiked by 1 person
davidjkentwriter said:
Thanks, Barbara. So much still to do in the world. Best to you this holiday season and every day.
LikeLike
Pingback: Yesterday, I Was Broken | Ramisa the Authoress
lightnesstraveling said:
Can’t say I recall ever making any New Years’ resolutions. But then, there are also a few New Years I can’t recall either. At any rate, I’d like to wish you a happy New Year before I drop off the RADAR for awhile. Good tidings to you and to your friends and family, and wishes of good fortune in your endeavors. And may all of your resolutions be… resolved. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
davidjkentwriter said:
Happy New Year to you as well! Planning new adventures as we speak. Best to you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
irinadim said:
Happy New Year, David! You’ve achieved so much that you don’t need any resolutions to prompt you to continue doing what you love doing and you’re doing it so well. I could kick myself for not nominating you in the One Lovely Blog Hop, but I was doing such a thing for the first time and just picked some blogs randomly as they appeared in my Reader that day, made a draft and when I wanted to add more names, the list went pear-shaped so I gave up the idea. I was too tired to redo the whole post.
LikeLike
davidjkentwriter said:
Happy New Year to you too, Irina. I had a plan for what I wanted to achieve in 2015 but just got word of something that will require me to change plans, or at least squeeze in among those plans. Either way, it’s going to be a busy year. I love it!
LikeLike
Pingback: It’s been a very good year… | Hot White Snow
jacquelineobyikocha said:
Impressive. Well done 🙂
LikeLike
davidjkentwriter said:
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
jacquelineobyikocha said:
You are welcome 🙂
LikeLike