It is around 8 AM on January 1st. A new year. The sun is shining and streaming through the trees into my room, across my bed where I’ve been watching Starting Out in the Evening, an Independent Spirit nominee for Best Screenplay. The film stars Frank Langella and Lili Taylor, and I’m at a loss to put into words exactly what the film is about, except to say that an aging author discovers new purpose in his life even as it seems to be nearing end. It is a fitting film to start off a new year - new beginnings for us all. I tend to find myself particularly pensive around this time, maybe because it seems like there is so much potential. But the funny thing is that there is the same amount of potential each day of the year, it just gets difficult to see it among the ten-thousand things that rise and fall.

I moved the rest of my belongings from the East Coast to Austin, and this morning I will unload the truck and begin to literally put things in order. I think that this will give me stability that I’ve been missing, and allow me to tackle some of the challenges that have been facing me, which I’ve been reluctant, or perhaps even fearful, of addressing.

I hope that this 2008 is a healthy, fruitful one for all of us. I’m once again thankful for those of you who read this blog and for those who take time out of their day to contribute back to it. It’s been one of the best experiences of my life and I look forward to continuing and improving. Here are my resolutions (maybe if I put them out in public, I will have an easier time keeping them):

1. Maintain a spiritual connection.
2. Have a strong body & mind.
3. Patience.