The Farmville herald and farmer-leader. (Farmville, Va.) 1934-1957, 1956-01-03
Neu Year Catches
Writer Without
Any High Resolve
by JACKIE WALL

has come and gone, and ono,
more I have missed the annual op
portunity to make myself over.
Toward the end of each year,
find myself indulging in deep self
analysis. I sort through the weak.
est links in a chain ! realize suf.
fers from extreme fragility
conclude that there are many
spots needing strengthening.
null them over as the time draws
near to resolve Finally the New
Year arrives. I am feverish. Nine
tscn-fifty-Slx is soon well embark
ed upon its memorable way. It's
too late to make a resolution.
relax with a happy sigh. and pre-
pare to struggle another year with
the same person endured
throughout 1855.
No Use
You see. / figure it's no use re-
solving to be kinder, less selfish
or more tolerant. l make such
resolutions at least once a
month. They're always be n G
brok n. and I'm getting to the
point where I'm about ready to
give up on such character fail
iugs. The trouble with this type
is that l may have the best in
tentions in the world to improve
but it's only after l have been
unkind. selfish or intolerant that
l realize I've done it again.
Having convinced myself thk
sort of resolution will not work fol
New Years. then examine more
obvious. less unimprOvable fail
ing. take each in turn: thumb
nail biting: over-sleeping; gossip
ing: extravaganza: answering let
tiers promptly: leaving lighted
cigarettes in ash trays. and SO on
ad infinitum.
Psychologists will undoubtedly
explain the rather unpleasant
habit of biting my thumb nails as
something left from childhood
when I used to suck my thumb (if
ever did in moments of anxiety
It's one of those habits l plan to
give up one day. but since l am
trying to bride my husband into
giving me hit-fi set if I stop, I
have every intention of cOntinu-
ing until he signs the agreement.
Getting Up
have tried all sorts of man
euvers to get myself up on time
in the morning. At present. I have
the alarm placed twelve feet away
from the bed at the other end OF
the room. Twelve feet is not
enough to awaken me sufficiently
to remain up. AS matter OF habit
now, I stagger to the alarm. turn
it off. and stagger back to the
welcoming bed. The only method
l have not tried is to hang the
clock on a string outside the bed
room window T h S. however.
could lead to possible complica-
tions. The ringing Of the alarm
might enrage the neighbors. Too.
I might fall back into sleep with
my arm hanging out the window
and get frostbite It's too unplea-
cont To coNtemplate
1t wouldn't quite be fair to re-
solve not to gossip. don't Cos
sip. l merely analyZe the actions
of others. If l happen to talk
about the peculiarities Of people l
know, always have a scientific
approach to tidhit and air these
things purely in the interest OF
science.
Leaving Zig h ted cigarettes
around IN ashtrays is a ebad, dam
gerous habit. But it gives such
pleasure to my husband to cha
tise me for it. l hesitate to de-
prive him of his simple delight.
Delayed hcpl1cS
NV tendency is to leave letters
unanswered for weeks and even
months after I receive them is
certainly aggravatlng. l n V
found, however. that when l re-
ply promptly. the note is small
and limited. If l delay long. my
cons .ience begins to hurt. TIC
salve it and any possible strained
relations between me and my
friends. l invariably write half a
book. and this pleases the reci-
pient far more than short, pre-
else but prompt reply
If / resolve to relax more, l feel
shall have to take up Yogi, This
is an unpleasant way to spend an
evening at home with ones hus-
band. and l fear friends dropping
by Just wouldn't understand.
could resolve to provide hot
bread for every. meal at night. I'm
not too bad on this score. anyway.
If / changed my ways entirely. my
husband would become spoiled
and l did resolve a long time ago
never to spoil my husband.
Extravagance
Extravaganza is failing. It's a
nicer one than its opposite, how
ever. What else can one do with
money but spend it. provided one
a<,. hnuo a GiAlo SanSa about the