One more trip around the sun

Don Scott

Here we go again. Another year has raced by.

My smartphone has reminded me, courtesy of Google Photos, of what I did last year. When Jimmy Buffett wrote the lyric in “Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes”—“I took off for a weekend last month just to try and recall the whole year”—he had to do it in analog. I now have digital help. The algorithm looked at all of my pictures and decided what was important. Apparently, according to Google Photos, playing golf and going to the races at Saratoga ranked right up there along with flying little airplanes. But the ultimate event was our daughter’s wedding this past October.

Part of the pressure of another trip around the sun is that of the New Year’s resolution. Long-time readers know I’m not big on resolutions. This year is no different — but I did learn that when properly motivated (like a wedding photographer with a telephoto lens), even I can change. Katie and Zach’s wedding gave me the motivation to keep my weight-loss resolution from early 2025 — or was it late 2024? Wedding pictures will live on for generations, and I decided I did not want to be a fat boy for them. So I can check the “mission accomplished” box for at least one of my umpteen years on the planet.

One annual ritual at this point in my life is the trip to the doctor for the physical. In my case, it's a trip to the nurse practitioner, since it’s impossible to get an appointment with a doctor unless it's part of a five-year plan. For once, I looked forward to getting on the scale. It caused a raised eyebrow and the question: “Did you mean to lose this weight?”

After the check-in and vitals, it was time for something that has only recently become part of the annual ritual: the cognitive test. I was sweating a little bit. I was given three words at the beginning of the physical and asked to recall them at the end. In addition, I was handed a blank sheet of paper and asked to draw the hands on a clock depicting ten past eleven. I'm happy to say that, like President Trump, I aced it. After an oil change and a few tweaks, it looks like I'm good for another 15,000 miles. The older I get, the more I appreciate maintenance as a noble pursuit.

Reflecting on actually keeping a resolution — for what I am pretty sure was the first time — I'm proud to join the 6% of the elite group who, when surveyed, said they actually kept a New Year’s resolution. Come to think of it, this may be the second time I've kept a resolution. I went easy on myself a couple of years ago when I resolved to be more curious in the year ahead. That was a tap-in. It's a lot easier to be curious these days since, clearly, we live in curious times.

I could retire undefeated with a two-year winning streak, but I am pondering some actual 2026 resolutions. I'll let you know what I've decided after the New Year. In the meantime, feel free to drop me a line and share your resolutions (or lack thereof). I'm planning a follow-up column for “Quitter’s Day,” which falls on the second Friday after New Year’s. The holiday commemorates all of those who throw in the towel on their New Year’s resolutions before January is over.

While I am not happy about the compression effect — that’s a thing, you know — that makes the years go by faster and faster, at this rate 2030 will be here next Tuesday. However, I do appreciate that not everyone gets to make it another year. So the older I get, the more I see a year as a privilege, not a deadline. As the years sprint by, I've resolved to take time to notice them.

So, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year. Hope 2025 was great for you, and 2026 will be even better. I look forward to checking in with you next year.