Maybe it's because I've been living on the September to June academic calendar for so long, but the New Year doesn't cause much of a stir in my life except for the usual tradition of writing "2006" on checks until March. My resolution every year is to be more generous - perhaps the fact that this is my resolution every year indicates my success rate. But you've got to start somewhere, right? But yesterday, while driving home I saw this on the marquee of a church: "All ye infidels shall burn!" Oh wait, wrong church. Here's the one: "It's not a new year if you live the same old life." Well that's true. Especially if you ascribe to the idea that you are what you do. I certainly hope that people are inspired to become better people, better listeners, better knitters, better welders, better students, or whatever it is they do. Me, I signed up for an 8-week yoga class. And I was feeling apprehensive about it when driving home last night. My stream of consciousness went sort of like this: "Oh God, why did I sign up for yoga? I haven't been in a gym since 1993 and I don't know how to act! Where do I leave my shoes? What should I wear? What if my yoga pants keep sliding down? The bus stop is so far away from the gym! How will I get home? What if I have the wrong kind of yoga mat? What if I do the wind releaser when everyone else is doing downward facing dog? Acccccckkk!" But I'm over it. Buh-bye, same old life. Hello yoga and consequent serenity. Granted, yoga is the only new thing (so far!) but I'll work on that generosity thing. Perhaps there's a nice hobo who has more need for a raspberry red yoga mat than I do.