Jim in 2009 


Jim states his New Year's Resolutions for 2009. 

I'm not usually a person who makes New Year's Resolutions. My resolutions come throughout the year, and I'm always working on a number of them. However, this being the start of my eightieth decade on this planet—shocking thought, that—it seems an appropriate time to gather my thoughts before the whole internet community. And so, here they are, for all to see and evaluate.

Resolution #1: Prepare this house for sale. Stephen and I will certainly need to sell and move from this house sometime in the coming decade. As a start, I am painting the rec room and having it carpeted and draped. When that is finished, I intend to move forward with preparing the remainder of the 2nd floor in various ways.

Resolution #2: Move my musical presence forward. Having put together a modest digital recording studio in my home in 2008, I have a number of music fronts on which I am moving; they almost deserve separate sub-points. My singing music partner, Heidi and I, will complete a demo CD early in the year and submit it to a talent agency for securing gigs. We will shortly have a Facebook presence, too. I will continue work on my own music website, About Jim Andris. My brother, Tom Andris, has proposed to record a few of my earlier songs for inclusion here.

Resolution #3, which is just a special case of #2. Buy a digital videocam, set up a chromakey lab on the third floor of my house, and record videos of Heidi and me, and other subjects for inclusion on my YouTube page (not yet ready for primetime.

Resolution #4: Continue living a more healthy lifestyle. We cook most meals at home using fresh, natural ingredients. We take nutritional supplements, we use weight control techniques, and we exercise. We chop wood and carry water willingly. We realize that looking on the bright side of things is one aspect of bringing God's presence into the world. This does not mean denying that the shadows are there, just affirming that shadows are what they are: an absence of light.

Resolution #5, which is just a special case of #4: While I remain in full accord with Ken Keyes 12 pathways, especially #8—I feel with loving compassion the problems of others without getting caught up emotionally in their predicaments that are offering them messages they need ior their growth—I intend to fully support the return of my partner, Stephen, to a full and complete state of health. This includes leading him each day in customized stretching and limbering exercises, and giving him space and resources to heal himself.

Resolution #6: Continue in my spiritual practices that are now in place. This includes daily meditation using Self-Realization Fellowship techniques. My recent reading of Daniel Seigel's book, The Mindful Brain, has helped me to see why meditation is a valuable asset to any spiritual approach. This also included my thoughtful participation at Trinity Episcopal Church, bearing in mind that even here, we are not yet completely out of Exile. This includes a program of reading EFM materials and other books.

Resolution #7: Regarding the developing cyber-culture, Bring it ON!! Play with that Sims 2 Mansions, live some time in Second Life, grab onto those podcasts, texting, twittering, tinkering, web publishing, messenging, video chatting.

Resolution #8: Never nay-say someone else's approach to making the planet safer, more eco-friendly, and in fact open my heart and mind to the dialog that will make us good stewards of our home here in this little corner of the galaxy.

Resolution #9: As a gay and proud citizen, just live in the confidence that the world needs me and my message of liberation from old, inadequate ways of thinking every bit as much as I need the rest of the world for my dialog, loving and growth.

Resolution #10: In the words of a song I wrote in 1963: "Listen to your friends when they say what you should do. They're telling you that they love you and they want the best for you. And though you disagree with them, still you know there'll come a day when you'll see that your friends were there to help you travel on your way." 

Posted: Thu - January 1, 2009 at 01:28 PM          

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