I hate New Year’s ´eve! Don´t judge me. In earnest, I do enjoy the celestial celebration of fireworks and the satisfaction of having a simple meal that follows the joyful mood. What bothers me does not surround the celebration. It is rather encapsulated in the reflection that comes with the dawn of every year. If you are (un)fortunate to be born in the early months of January and February (in the early 1980´s), you might have an idea of what I mean when I say each new year celebration comes with the harsh reality that age is not on your side!
Pardon me, if you are between the ages of 18-20, for you might not grasp the extent of my words at the moment. Be patient, in just a few more years when you are between 24 - 28, still locked in the confusion of books and university dorms- studying. You will come to realize the meaning of my notes.
For me, ever since I graduated from my first University, the arrival of every New Year has turned into a period of scare and uncertainty! Uncertainty for what will happen the next year. Sometimes I daydream and wish I could take a peak into the future and see myself in that luxurious car and comfy house- called my own. Other times I just sit and wonder why that man or woman I take as role model wasn´t me? Believe me, daydreaming has never helped (neither have I ever heard of someone who it has ever helped). Rather, it complicates my head and makes me think of my present situation and how hard I still have to try to achieve my dreams.
That is why I have never managed to make or have a New Year resolution. It is not because I cannot keep one(perhaps if I tried I wouldn´t be better off than the more than a million people who make one and end up breaking it before the last week of January). In my own case, the problem has always been what “resolution” to make? I have never been a regular smoker (so quitting it makes no sense), unless you consider inhaling a stick of cigarette once in 8 months “regular”! Neither have I ever been a hard drunk. Those who know me, know well enough that I see wisdom in spending 20 euros on buying a fancy casual wear than using it to get two/three glass of beer or cider(wine does not fall under this category). Call me a stingy/miserly bloke, it doesn´t matter. The truth is I prefer to look and smell good than to reek of alcohol.
Going back to the issue of making a New Year resolution, like I said, “my problem has always been what kind of ´resolution´ to make!” It´s not that I don´t have bad habits (believe me; you will do me grave injustice if you think me a saint! Ask my priest, he might have one or two things to tell if the secrecy of confession permits him). I do have bad habits and quite a lot I presume. But this has affected my inability to make a New Year resolution in no way.
If I am obliged the liberties of judging “me”, I´d say the main reason for my malady has been my spontaneity and flexibility. I have never had a particular hobby nor entertained myself with a singular habit. I can assure you that if you interview 20 of my close friends they will each give you a host of things they think are my hobbies or habits! This does not call for concern though. As some friends I had in Nigeria and Brazil saw this as an attribute of creativity, while my ever critical Finnish friends call it “randomness” (how I hate that word). Whichever way you choose to look at it – it makes little difference. To tell the truth, I appreciate and enjoy many things (call me “his royal randomness” or whatever you choose it matters not). However (with age and sensibility knocking at my door), I´m beginning to concentrate on few things at a time. This brings me to what might be my “resolutions” for the New Year.
In as much as I would not want to have a New Year resolution, I must confess I have a temptation to have “some”. Three things seemed to have captured my curiosity in 2008 and might as well influence my decision of what to pursue for the next year. One was the financial crisis that hit most economies unexpectedly. The second was the election of the President of the United States. The third and most personal is that I woke up one day and realized that come 2009 I will be one more (goddamit) year older! The shocking realization of this fact has been the catalyst of my reflection. Suddenly I no longer liked New Year! Take away the celebration and jubilation all that is left is one more year added to life! Of course, adding another year is worth celebrating but we mustn’t forget to reflect on what lies ahead…or so I argue?
The financial crisis had me meditating on how to (as me and my roommate in our university days would say) “save for the rainy day”. Looking at the way banks and institutions collapsed, I´m beginning to look at other alternatives for “saving for the rainy day”. Perhaps, I should first stabilize my source of income – first, get a decent, stable job, invest in some sort of capital generating venture (real estate back home looks lucrative). Or maybe I should follow the wise old adage that advises one to “cut your cloth according to your size”. At the moment the latter seems the most reasonable tip to follow. Who knows in the future I might delve into the former.
On the other hand, Just as the financial crisis was deepening; Obama came, saw, and to put it euphemistically, conquered. In as much as I fail to admit it (amongst friends), that historical turn of events cemented my perspective that “yes, we can!” – With a lot of hard work, the right attitude and people. We can achieve what we dream/hope of becoming (irrespective of the socio-political context). With respect to my Finnish friends who would regard such things as “fluffy stuffs” I would like to argue that sometimes it pays to be a “dreamer”. For me, motivation has always come from dreaming – that same dream has led me through the corridors of Ajegunle, to the streets of Sao Paulo and now as I take a pause between the lakes of Finland. I cannot help but marvel and worship the power of dreaming. Yes! It does sound fluffy, but as Einstein puts it “Imagination is greater than knowledge”.
Simply put, the crisis taught me a lesson: expect the unexpected; Plan for the worse and hope for the best. And Obama´s election inspired me to continue to believe in what I believe and work towards achieving my dream. Believe me, both of these incidents did not directly affect me but I would be a fool not to learn a lesson or two from them. In Igbo land we would say – the man who failed to ask his neighbor what killed his crops might be affected by the same droughts next year. Perhaps better explained by the ever reliable English language: As our tea drinking colonial master put it “a stitch in time saves nine”
So what should be my New Year resolution for 2009? I reckon I will continue to enjoy the things I enjoy doing come next year. But one thing I have resolved to do this year is to “just do it”. If there is that hobby, book or application I ever thought of doing or reading, why hesitate? I have resolved to “just do it”. Since age is no longer on my side, I might as well give myself the benefit and make as much as I can out of what life offers me. So for me this year, it is goodbye to procrastination.
Come next New Years Eve, I should have achieved most of the targets have set out to achieve at the beginning of 2009(the first of which is concluding my Masters thesis and having a job that guarantees a steady flow of income). In addition, I will enroll myself in a Finnish language course (and by that I mean starting afresh, my basic “Suomi yksi” class wasn´t sufficient since I trifled with that one. Maybe paying some bucks might increase my motivation). Improving on my knowledge of Finnish language and finishing my Masters thesis are two priorities for 2009. That is what I´ve resolved for me-self.
To start, I´m going to finish writing this article and publish it. Then, I am slowly going to conclude reading the “Forbes” magazine I bought for a trip and then allow myself the pleasure of feeling the tension in Ken Flollett´s “Pillars of the Earth”. Who knows, per chance I might get back into the reading hobby thingie. If you happen to come across me next new year’s eve please do me the favor of asking me: “how did it go?” (I mean my resolutions). How is that for a start?
