2010 Your Turn

Forget that old cliche about treating each day like your last. Try treating every moment like someone’s trying to stuff you in line at the DMV. Or in your doctor’s waiting room reading a 6-month old copy of Time and listening to Muzak while the lady next to you hacks contagiously. You know all those things you wish you were doing in these long moments? While they cook your burger? While the traffic light’s frozen red? We dedicate 2010 to doing those things and not just thinking about doing them when you have nothing else to think about. Because it’s not really the fact that sometimes we have no choice but to wait that bothers us; it’s that sometimes we do have a choice and we waste it. It’s not the third of our lives we spend sleeping that’s wrong, it’s all that other time we spend sleepwalking. So we say, pretend this year your number has finally come up! Step to the front of the line. Do the things you’re called upon to do. Serve yourself. Better yet, serve someone else. But whatever you do, give the time you have on earth the best service you can. Happy New Year!

Submissions are closed.

This is the year I will pay a well-deserved and thoughtful compliment to one individual per day. That’s it. One compliment. And it should be something more considered than "your hair looks good". It’s fair to use modern technology like Twitter or Facebook. But for extra credit, look ’em right in the eyes and tell them "hey, I think you have a great attitude toward life that seems to rub off on folks", or "hey, I think you smell much better than you did yesterday", or whatever the case may be. Just come up with something. <Trina, Hartford, CT>

I will move to Portland. <Nilobon Kijkrailas, Barcelona, Spain>

I am going to write a long letter to my mom. Like, on paper. I’m not sure what it will say, but it will be at least 3 pages, single spaced. We’ll see what happens from there. <Alfie, Modesto, CA>

I’ve always wanted to hook up with Habitat for Humanity. Learn to build stuff, and help somebody at the same time. <Glenn, Reno, NV>

I will not undertake to relocate any home or place of business, or remodel anything, or have a crippled dog. <Josh, San Anselmo, Ca>

I will give up my seat for old people on the bus. As it is now, I only do it sometimes. Other times, when I’m tired or sick or just in a bad mood, I just sit there and feel both entitled and guilty that grandma is standing. In 2010, I will always offer my seat. <Hannah, San Francisco, CA>

I am going to intentionally leave my ipod and my cell phone at home once a month. Sometimes it’s nice to actually listen to what’s going on around you and not be so self absorbed with your own technology. The other day, the battery died on my ipod while I was downtown. I heard the most beautiful music emanating from a guy on the corner playing a sax. I wouldn’t even have known that guy was there if I’d been listening to my own stuff. <Maria, New York, NY>

I will travel to a country I’ve never been to before like Turkey or Argentina or Canada. <Hoc, Clarkston, GA>

I will take it to the next level. <Krista, Portland, OR>

I will donate 10 inches of my hair to locks of love. Promise. <Peter Lim, San Francisco>

I’m going to go visit 3 friends this year that have moved away and that I lost touch with. I\’m sure I promised them that I would come and visit some time. 2010 is the time. <Blake, Albany, CA>

In addition to catching babies for the first time starting in January, one thing I really want to do this year is learn how to make perfect croissants from scratch =) <Jessica Christen, Berkeley, CA>

I’m going to go camping for the first time in over a decade. <Abraham, Mexico City>

I will visit the ends of the earth. <Kenn, Portland, Oregon>

I will try the Aeropress <Abraham, Portland, Oregon>

This year I will learn to say "yes" and open myself up to new adventures... <Susana, San Francisco, California>

Family, health and happiness reign supreme. <Steve, San Francisco, California>

This year I will make it a point to drop some serious ass in and around the entire Portland area. Watch out, sensitive noseters, I’m stocking up on cabbage and beans . . . . <Taylor Jenkins, Portland, Oregon>

Today, this day, I will: a) refrain from interrupting someone b) sit and do nothing for at least five minutes c) write one handwritten letter d) send out thank-you notes e) stop, look, and listen and then compose a haiku. <Paul Kocak, Syracuse, New York>

I would like to continue to keep my side of the street clean in life and in business. I will however start to compliment people on their ability to act appealing to their fellow man. The last thing this world needs more of is self-deserving, ruthless approaching, center of the universe acting, 2 faced pricks. I think I met more than my fair share this past year... Life’s too short to associate with assh*les. <Leonard, Syracuse, New York>