Did You Make This List? | Fort Bend Focus Magazine

I’m a serial list-maker, regardless of the time of year, but the 2023 list definitely holds some surprises.

By Patti Parish-Kaminski, Publisher

It’s that time of year again – out with the old and in with the new. Time to make those resolutions to do everything we dream to accomplish in the new year.

Being the creature of habit that I am, I tend to make the same resolution each and every year: to be both thin and pleasant. Thing is, those two resolutions are mutually exclusive, meaning it is absolutely impossible to be both at the same time. It’s kind of like war and peace. They just don’t work together. I can be thin, but I’ll need a cookie to be pleasant, and then I won’t be thin. And I can be pleasant, but I will have likely eaten the entire bag of cookies to achieve such a state, and then my skinny jeans won’t fit. Just who in God’s name came up with the name “skinny jeans” anyway? It had to be a man. It’s just a vicious cycle of never-ending oxymorons. It’s enough to wear a girl slap out.

I really don’t understand why once a year, we have to resolve to do something anyway. I resolve to do stuff every dang day, and I typically get it done, at least within a decent timeframe. I’m a list-maker, and by God if gets on the list, it gets done. Now it may take a minute, depending on what this crazy world throws my way and what gets moved up on said list, but once it’s on the list, it’s the gospel, it’s resolute.

This list-making thing isn’t new for me. I’ve always had this particular affliction, and apparently, it’s a trait I’ve passed on to my babies. They are list-makers, too. I’m secretly kind of proud of that, truth be told. Mr. Kaminski, he is not a list-maker, but he absolutely is a list follower, meaning that he can take a succinct list penned by yours truly and go to town with it. He likes that whole crossing things off of it, and that’s exactly what works for me as well. It’s an accomplishment. It feels really good to have that straight line with the curly tail at the end checked off on an item.

I must confess that I have given what I will deem a 2023 list some thoughts. I’ve decided that each week, I’m putting a person on my list – that’s 52 folks – that I want to reach out and touch in a meaningful way. Now I’m not talking about the folks that I typically interact with on the daily. I’m talking about the people that I don’t always cross paths with, but when I do, I genuinely enjoy them. I guess you could call that my New Year’s resolution. It will be interesting to see who’s on the list – the fab 52. I don’t even know yet, but I’m excited.

Happy New Year porch sitters! I hope you make some lists in the coming year, and I really hope you’ll be on mine! See y’all next year – on the porch!

Patti Parish-Kaminski