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This is the year of less. 

For all of 2009 I kept hearing about how bad things were getting, and then how bad things were/are etc. No money no jobs no housing no food...it was the year of no.

And now that it's over I think maybe I'll spend 2010 having less on purpose rather than letting the news tell me what's what. 

First things first: less news.

Ever since September 11th 2001 I have turned on the news the minute I woke up. Just in case something bad had happened while I slept my left coast hours and missed so much of the day in the rest of the world. What if something bad happened and I was showering and dressing like normal when what I really should have been doing was freaking out and learning how to loot? But bad things happen, and maybe it's ok to be the last to know because freaking out is unhealthy and looting is not safe or sane. So now when I wake up I put on some music and when a good song comes on I dance.

Second things second: less stuff.

I think maybe it's ok to have only three black cardigan sweaters, and besides there probably isn't a perfect one out there anywhere anyway so I can stop buying them. This turns out to be true of so many things- pairs of jeans, blank notebooks, orangewood sticks, eye creams. I can just stop worrying that I have an inferior item and enjoy the one I have. Eye creams don't actually work anyway...do they?

Third things third: less people...but in a good way.

I can finally admit that I don't really care about the boyfriend troubles of that girl I worked with for 6 months ten years ago, or how many children that T.V. couple have, or what my boss really thinks of me. It just doesn't matter, and if it doesn't matter I'm going to stop pretending to be interested. I'm not going to borrow any more drama from people who have too much of it and are always looking for a place to set some down for a while. I can ignore the email, or change the subject, or just smile and get on with my own business. Probably they won't even notice.

A year of less of all the things that made me feel less happy in the past.

Happy New Year!