Two Thousand Ten

A new year has come, and over the last few weeks I’ve been pondering 2009. And I’ve come to one simple conclusion…

2009 was a year of relative stagnation for The Bearded Goose. I feel that I’ve accomplished very little, and I haven’t really progressed or grown over the course of those last twelve months.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s not as though I was sitting on my broad backside doing nothing. I had a large family to provide for. I had games to play and books to read. Movies and television shows were watched. Church was even attended. But, as I look at myself, I didn’t learn or do much of anything new.

Perhaps I’ve only lost track of those things I did do or things that helped me grow… But, frankly, I doubt it.

The only part of 2009 where I feel like I stretched myself a bit was in my involvement in the year’s production of This is Kirtland. I’ve had the large opportunity of being involved in that stage production for every year of its existence. The first year, I was cast in the part of Parley P. Pratt, in which I had to sing. In the following four years, I was cast as Christopher Crary, the narrator of the show, and obviously in which I had a large speaking part to memorize, but no singing. This did not make me sad.

In 2009, we had a new director and I was cast in the part of Newel K. Whitney, owner of the Whitney Store in Kirtland. And not only did I have to sing, I had to join in a short duet in the first song of the show every night. Singing is usually uncomfortable for me, but I found throughout the course of the rehearsals and subsequent performances that I really enjoyed singing. I found a bit more confidence in my ability and realized I could be a true participant in the show.

And that’s the only part of the year in which I felt that I progressed or grew in some fashion.

Pretty pitiful, no?

And so, with 2010 starting and the accompanying new year’s worth of resolutions to make, it occurs to me that, this year, I want to be sure to accomplish something. A good practice would be to make some goals surrounding these areas of a life: physical, mental, spiritual, professional and familial.

With that, throughout the month, I’m going to do something I’ve avoided doing for years. I’m going to make goals. Yes, ladies and gents, the Goose himself is going to write down things in which he wants to progress.

I guess this means I’m finally maturing. Well, crap.