"Resolutions"

As a husband and father, I have made many promises throughout my life. I'm sure I haven't kept all the promises I have made, although I try my best to keep promises; sometimes memory and circumstances make the keeping of promises difficult, or sometimes impossible.

This time of the year we all make promises; or, as we like to call them "resolutions". These resolutions are promises to us to become better people to ourselves and others. The most common promise is to LOSE WEIGHT. If I were to make a wager, I would bet that a huge percentage of Americans have pledged to lose weight this year. I wish all of you the very best in your efforts to "beat those pounds"! I used to pledge that pledge every year; unfortunately, my resolve is seldom victorious in those efforts. I'm Italian, and there is pizza out there with my name on it! I will try to moderate my intake; but total pizza denial is not possible for me. I also want to be more sensitive to the feelings of others. As I have strong conservative leanings, I have engaged many people in philosophical discussions on our current President and his administration, and at times, these discussions have become heated, leaving some hurt feelings in their wake. This doesn't mean I will water down my principles; but, I will try to be kinder in my response to those with whom I disagree. Pray for me!

We are about to have a new Congress take office. I have hopes this new Congress will do some house cleaning from the last Congress. Obamacare is foremost in the public interest as this session begins; many Americans want to see changes made before this program is fully engaged. There have been several politicians who have promised to "repeal" Obamacare. Personally, I would love to see this program repealed, but I don't believe this will happen while Barack Obama sits in the White House.

When President Obama was campaigning for President, his slogan was "Hope and Change" and "Yes We Can". I believe many Americans have taken those slogans to heart; sadly for Mr. Obama, it seems that America is "hoping for a change" in the White House, and they also believe "yes they can" do that in 2012. It seems Americans have made their own "resolutions" about progressive politics.

Mr. Obama has made some conservative noises since the "drubbing" his progressive Congress took in November, yet, I have trouble believing his sudden change to fiscal responsibility. Is Mr. Obama making a promise he doesn't intend to keep? Is Mr. Obama already in his campaign mode for 2012? He now has less than two years to "change his spots" and become what he believes America will vote for. I wonder what Mr. Obama's resolutions are for his future?

(Thanks to those who have prayed for me while I have had some physical problems; I'm not 100 per cent, but I'm a lot better. T.P.)