Happy New Year! Let’s get things straight right from the beginning. I do not make New Year’s resolutions. Never have never will! I have no objection to those who do. My opposition Has no basis in superstition, nor any in religious beliefs. I object because it would just be one more area in my life where I might have to face failure. If you don’t make any goals it is very hard to miss the mark.
I had a phase (more than a phase, most of my life) where I lived by goals, projections, plans, schedule’s. Didn’t mind it at all. It was all a necessary evil. It had nothing to do with resolutions, but my personal life and committees. The eleventh commandment should be “Thou Shalt Not Committee.”
I spent 40 years or more attending committees of all kinds. I have no idea how many, but probably 1-2 a week for 40 years. It that was close I sat through 4,160 committees meetings. People still want me to work with a committee or two. NO, NO, NO! The worst was sitting through the same information in four different committee’s with each being just an ever-larger number listening in. No one ever believed me that there was a simpler way.
It was in the seventies that I really began to dislike committees. I did them because it was my job. I was a young new youth pastor serving in Canada when I was invited to represent the country on the international youth ministry committee. My head swelled. I had only two years under my belt and I was going to the Mecca of our denomination in New York City. I was movin’ to the top quickly and it was only 1966.
My first trip took me through Minneapolis and on the JFK. I took a tow can to the train and rode that to Grand Central Station than caught a cab to my hotel. I had come from the furthest distance and had to arrive the night before. Everyone else was close to the city and would arrive then next morning. I got in early so went for a walk. I had not idea where I was. The hotel was directly across the street from our headquarters on 44th. I could see it from my room window. I headed out for a walk. Being from the west I had never seen so many people on the streets at night. I walked one block east to Broadway. I could see Times Square to the north and shops galore to the south. I walked down until I found Macy’s. There was a bagger or street entertainer on every corner. The road was a sea of taxis. Eventually I turned around and walked to Times Square and turned right onto 42nd. My sheltered life had a hole poked in the bubble. Wow! There was an entire block of porn on both sides. When I reached Madison I went back to my hotel.
The new morning at the committee meeting I was told never to go out in this area of town by myself. One of the guys offered to show me around that night. I kept my mouth shut as I had been out for nearly two hours, had no fear, and nothing happened. That night Glen took me for a walk. Four individuals who wanted money from us approached us. When we turned down 42nd Street two female prostitutes and one male prostitute approached us. He offered to take us both on. Glen also pointed out a large number of both uniformed and undercover cops. I didn’t notice prostitutes or cops on my walk. Go figure.
It took only part of the first day of meetings to realize I had been trapped. I hated the meeting. They were working on various constitutions and arguing over the use of certain words. Frankly I didn’t care. I wanted the constitutions thrown out. Any suggestion to that end constitutions were laughed at. This was the beginning of my lifetime dislike of committees.
Now there I have always enjoyed planning and creating with a lively group. I lead by consensus. Don’t remember ever having a vote. A decision was made when all agreed.
OK this wandered from the original topic. That should only better explain why I don’t make resolutions.
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