Maybe the real time for resolutions is February. (Photo: Ocusfocus | Dreamstime.com)
We start our resolutions in January, when the supposed start of the new year begins. It seems appropriate to do so: a new year, a new life.
Many folks opt for a “dry January” where they abstain from alcohol. It’s another one of those things that makes sense when you consider how the end of the year is all about feasts and festivals. We gather together on Thanksgiving to gorge ourselves. And then, a few weeks later, there’s Christmas with the flowing eggnog. Somewhere between Christmas and New Year’s, many drink as much alcohol in the cabinets as they can. Some drink as if the world is about to end (and they’re not entirely wrong — end of one year, start of another). It’s no wonder folks want to take a break from the beverage.
Others resolve to work out more this year, and they swear they will, trust them. But, sure enough, by mid-January, those weights grow cobwebs. Personally, I gave up on resolutions in favor of what I call “January Tests,” where I spend all of January doing one thing differently. Usually, it’s something healthy. This year I gave up caffeine. It was the toughest month because of it. But I noticed my anger levels lowered and my sleep schedule normalized. I may wake up early, but not quite refreshed. I spend the entire day in a haze and want to take so many naps. Maybe I’m too tired to be passionate and that’s why my anger levels are so low.
Inevitably, I look forward to February every year because it means that I can return to my natural self, my true primitive goblin form. But I have never looked up what February truly means. I always just saw it as the second month of the year, and the shortest.
In Roman times, neither January or February were observed. It was simply “those winter months” that folks bore through. But when they did observe these two months, they named them after two major observances. January was for Janus, the god of passageways and doors, which is appropriate. February, on the other hand, was named after the ritual of Februa, or purification. The festival of Februa occurred on February 15th, around what we now call Valentine’s Day, and consisted of various purification rituals and offerings. A man clad in goat skin would strike women who wished to conceive, a barbaric-sounding practice. It reminds me more of those “birthday punches” that friends would deliver in school (with one to grow on).
The Romans aren’t the only ones to see February as a welcoming of a new world. The ancient Irish celebrated (and today’s Irish still celebrate) the top of February as the festival of Imbolc. Catholics celebrate it as St. Brigid’s Day, Brigid being the old goddess of pagan Ireland. Brigid represented both spring and the arts, with many revivalists calling her “patroness of poets.” The saint named after her is seen as the “Mary of Ireland,” even more so as one of the three patron saints of Ireland (after Patrick and Columba). Some debate her historicity, but all agree that both the saint and the deity represent the same thing: a new life and an awakening of the new world.
One important ritual attributed to St. Brigid’s Day (February 1st) is the hanging of Brigid’s crosses. They symbolize the protection of the saint and welcome a new, clean year. A fresh start. These reed-weaved crosses resemble Native American dream catchers, Latin American Ojos de Dios, and other Indigenous charms. Just like those charms, these crosses are meant to be hung over doorways or beds to work properly.
I know it seems like my ADHD is acting up, but these associations are going somewhere. I’m sure that the more research I do, the more cultures I examine, I’ll find the same thesis: February represents new life, change. We always celebrate January as the start of a new year, but maybe it’s the habits we stick with until February that actually define who we will be each new year.
One of my previous “January tests” had been giving up soda all of that month. And, sure enough, I cannot drink soda as much as I used to. I find myself craving water much more. For some who celebrate a “dry January,” I’ll bet many end up drinking less or staying sober the rest of the year. I’ll bet that those who stick with their exercises, though they may lose that fervor, start going on more walks or doing more push-ups.
I’m not saying it’s useless to try to change. But maybe my conclusion is that real change takes time and growth — and, perhaps, the willpower to get slapped by a goat-man. Whatever you choose to do, spend February collecting yourself and finally getting rid of the previous year’s dribs and drabs.
You had a whole month to prepare.
William Smythe is a local writer and poet. He writes for Focus Mid-South, an LGBT+ magazine.
So it begins — 2025 has arrived. A new year, a new horizon, a new spectacle to behold. We don’t have much to say about 2025, not yet. But we do have our hopes and resolutions, which we must share with you in our “New Year, New You” issue because our editor said so. And since this is the new year and a new us, we’re actually listening to her. And, hey, maybe, you’ll listen to us and adopt a few of our resolutions.
Put Down Your Phone
We all love our smartphones. They help us connect with each other. They’re windows to the world. They serve us dank memes. We can’t go to a game or the club without taking video and sharing it with friends and strangers on the internet.
But these days, it’s easy to feel that you have too much of a good thing. You might have already guessed from your weekly average screen time reports that smartphone addiction is real. In many cases, that’s because your apps are working as designed. Social media platforms are designed to keep you engaged as long as possible. They don’t care if that engagement makes you mad, sad, or happy. A public, friendship-splintering fight sparked by an Instagram post is actually a win as far as Meta is concerned. Other apps are designed to deliver a steady drip feed of dopamine, a chemical your brain associates with rewards, like a slot machine.
If you think your smartphone use is out of control, try deleting the most problematic apps. Maybe you only need to access X on your laptop instead of on your phone — or maybe you don’t need to access it at all. iPhones have features that can help you decrease your dependency, such as Focus settings which limit your notifications. On Android systems, the Digital Wellness settings can also be helpful. If that doesn’t work, consider getting a “dumb phone” — that is, an old-fashioned flip phone that will send and receive calls and T9 text messages. — Chris McCoy
Photo: Jon Tyson | Unsplash
Cook Some Barbecue
You’re Memphis AF. We get it. You’re a Stax scholar, an Overton Park zen master, Midtown shortcut navigator, and a top-rated commentator on r/Memphis.
Take that AF-ness one step further this year: Add pitmaster to your Memphis CV.
Barbecue is a mysterious art. Tough pork cuts tenderize in a dark sauna of smoke and low heat. To watch this process spoils the magic, a sin immortalized in the phrase, “if you’re looking, you’re not cooking.” It emerges hours later, dark, rustic, supple to the touch, and maybe hissing but still needing a rest — a tiny dose of extra magic — to make it Memphis barbecue.
But they sell everything you need for this so-called magic at nearly every grocery store in town. So, how hard can this be?
Folks on barbecue subreddits and YouTube say you’re probably overthinking it. Folks on barbecue subreddits and YouTube say you’re not thinking about it enough. Do I wrap ribs? How long should I rest a pork butt? Should I use yellow mustard to hold a dry rub? Will sauce anger the Memphis barbecue gods?
It can be tough to cut through the noise. The only way to know what is going to work is to do it yourself.
You probably already have the gear. All you need is an outdoor, low-heat source (around 225-275 degrees) and some wood chips. Almost any grill can smoke, yes, even most gas grills. (Google “aluminum wood packets for smoking” for help here.)
Pork cuts for smoking are usually cheap, too. Ribs run around $15 a slab. Feed a crowd with a pork butt for about $20. Also, a shaker of dry rub can start as low as $5.
The low cost helps take the sting out of a bad batch (ask me how I know). A pro tip here, if you’re just getting started, and your barbecue is the star dish of a get-together, have the pizza man on speed dial in case things go south. — Toby Sells
Photo: Michael Donahue
Plant the Seeds
Your New Year, New You could be “Johnny Appleseed” in 2025. Or some other seed.
Plant some seeds this spring and watch what happens. Not only will you see something green grow into a plant that (a.) blooms, (b.) turns into something you can eat, or (c.) both; it’s also one of the oldest head-trips.
I’m talking about seeds that are easy to grow. Each year I plant seeds I know I’ll get results from. As somebody once said, if you grow a lot of something that’s easy, people will think you know what you’re doing.
I feel great all over the rest of the day after I plant some balsam, tomato, marigold, or other easy seeds. I don’t buy boxes of already blooming plants or already growing herbs and vegetables. That’s not fun. I want to watch the growing process from the time the seeds sprout until they’re fully grown.
I wait until mid-May to plant most of my seed because the soil is warm and it doesn’t take long for the seed to sprout.
These are what I plant every year. And you can get seeds for all of these at nurseries or online:
• Balsam, or “touch-me-not.” After the blooms on the side of the stem fade, they will produce seed pods. When the seeds are ripe, the pods will burst open when you touch them.
• Gomphrena, or “globe amaranth,” is my favorite. I started them from some little round purple flower globes I snipped off some plants one summer. In mid-May, I crush the dried blooms and just plant the flat seeds in shallow rows.
• Tithonia, or Mexican sunflower, is one of the most fun for me. The plants, which bear vivid orange daisy-looking flowers, can grow over 7 feet tall.
• Celosia, or “cock’s comb,” are very easy to grow and they also reseed. These have the velvety red blooms that look like rooster combs.
• To round out your garden, plant the super-easy sweet basil seed. They come up fast and last all summer until frost.
Just make sure you water your plants. Don’t let them dry out. I plant my flower, vegetable, and herb seed in big pots and just keep them there. They’re a lot easier to manage. — Michael Donahue
Free Jazz: Just What the Doctor Ordered
If you should find yourself asking, “New year, new me, sure — but how?” this January, try my surefire way of dusting off the mental cobwebs, shaking up old habits, and finding a fresh perspective: free jazz.
Of course, very few free, out, experimental, or avant-garde musicians would use that antiquated term anymore. I still like it, even as a punch line, but let’s just call it improvisatory music. By any name, it can be the perfect catalyst for rethinking your own personal big picture.
Ra Kalam Bob Moses and one of his most recent works (Photo: Courtesy Ra Kalam)
Because it grows from extemporized thought, such music stays unpredictable, making it a sure tonic for anyone stuck in a rut. Yet it’s not incoherent. Just listen to one of last year’s finest releases, one of many emerging from our city’s thriving improvisatory scene: Sonic Alchemy Suprema, featuring a world-class improvisational drummer now based in Memphis, Ra Kalam Bob Moses. Technically, the album is by Alma Tree, a group that includes Ra Kalam, Vasco Trilla, and Pedro Melo Alves — all drummers. And though three horn players also join them, the sheer richness of the percussive tones alone will keep your ears fascinated. Give the album a few minutes and, as the virtuosic players speak to each other through sound, the tales they seem to spin emerge organically, sewing dramatic threads of thought and imagination.
At times meditative, at times frenetic, the moods they conjure will surely get you thinking outside of the box — or the algorithm. On the surface, it sounds like a punch line: Hey, try rethinking your life to the sound of bells, gongs, ratchets, drums, and horns on a free jazz album. But really, it’s a matter of “kidding on the square,” as the old jazzers would call it: a joke that tells the truth. — Alex Greene
(The Young Actors Guild is known to improve graduation rates. Photo: Craig Thompson)
Be a Part of the Solution
With my job requiring me to be tuned in to how current events affect specific communities, I’m also inclined to research how citizens grapple with solutions to certain problems. It doesn’t take a deep dive into the city to show that people are concerned about our youth and their trajectories. For decades there’s been a heavy emphasis on law enforcement to intervene aggressively on youth crime and intervention. While enhanced conversation on the relationship between law enforcement and young people is always encouraged, there are ways for the community to be proactive as well.
For 2025, I’d like to see more community engagement and involvement in nonprofits and organizations that focus on improving the lives of youth in Memphis. Crisis and crime intervention are always at the forefront of community involvement; however, at-risk youth are not monolithic and don’t exclusively occupy these spaces. As a community we can consider volunteering and supporting arts organizations who seek to provide an outlet for our youth. Organizations like the Young Actors Guild have prided themselves in improving graduation rates and college enrollment by cultivating an interest in the arts for young people. Not to mention the plethora of schools that are always looking for tutors to help students in need.
Improving the lives of young people requires involvement from all sectors. Youth need to know that the people in their community are invested in their well-being and interests. This can lead to confidence and improved outcomes in so many areas, which can positively impact Memphis as a whole. — Kailynn Johnson
Consider paring back your media intake or completing your to-do list. (Photo: Pexels | Pixabay)
No Spin New Year
I’m cable news sober since November 5th. Not one second of MSNBC, CNN, Fox, or any other network’s “news analysis” has crossed my eyes. Yet, I’m better informed than ever because I’m no longer consuming the garbage I used to watch every night — the garbage that fed my outrage machine and my confirmation biases. Instead, I’ve signed up for AP News, which is ranked the most down-the-middle news site. Also good are Reuters, BBC, The Guardian, and the straight news reporting by the major dailies. They all send links to your phone through the day, so you don’t miss anything.
Sometimes on social media a teaser will spin its way through to my attention. Last week, CNN wanted me to watch a clip where apparently resident troll Scott Jennings was trashing the legacy and integrity of former President Jimmy Carter on the day of his death. No thanks. The more clicks that stuff gets, the more they publish it. I’m out. For good. I’m getting my news the old-fashioned way; I’m reading it on my phone. — Bruce VanWyngarden
Photo: Pexels | RDNE
Get to It!
The only task any of us should be concerned with as we enter yet another new year is that of cooking the seeds. That is, finishing the leftover business we’ve put aside or not gotten around to.
Cases will differ from person to person, but for most of us, that entails a lot of catching up to do. Dust off that incomplete manuscript and finish the book. Patch up that broken friendship. Stop griping about how slow the boat is going and put your own oar to work. And, since you’re not really going to be an expatriate, swallow your disappointments about the public weal and find some volunteer organization that can use your two-cent’s worth.
Instead of wishing you’d said this or that to him or her, go ahead and say it now. Even though it’s no longer timely, it may well clarify the outcome.
None of this should preclude any new initiatives on your part. In fact, clearing off the cluttter will give you a clean new desk and good ideas for filling it up again. You’ll likely discover that this process can begin at once.
And don’t worry about getting it all done and having to face some terrifying void. You’ll never get through. That’s kind of the idea.
Oh, and if you’re that rare individual who’s always caught up on everything, here’s an idea: Learn a new language; you’ll confront the same old world, but with a wholly different way of looking at it. — Jackson Baker
You’ll notice a couple of places in this issue where I’ve been named responsible for the “New Year, New You” cover story. That dang editor is at it again! The truth is, the Flyer has done some form of this theme for as long as I can remember for its first issue at the turn of a new year. It had its place on the publication calendar long before I took the helm, so, objectively, for this edition at least, we’re still the same ol’ Flyer despite annually rallying for a “new you.” (Former editor and longtime “New Year, New You” “responsible party” Bruce VanWyngarden finally let the intrusive thoughts win this round; see “New Year, New Ewe.”)
Anyhow, we like you exactly as you are! And you get bonus cool points just for being here. But if you’re thinking of reinventing yourself, exploring new activities, or (not-so) simply putting the phone down for a change, our writers have some thoughts for you.
If, like me, resolutions aren’t your thing, maybe you’ll take a lesson in something I’ve learned from my dad: zip-a-dee-doo-dah. Let me explain. My 60-something-year-old father is the primary caretaker for my paraplegic brother, a commitment he fulfills with love and grace. He’s the family’s black sheep — outspoken, a country boy through and through, perhaps a bit wild — if you believe the stories (hint* they’re true). By most accounts, his life hasn’t been easy. Through the back-to-back deaths of my grandparents, my brother’s health challenges, nearly two years of sibling squabbles over estate matters, (minor outbursts aside) my dad remains as calm and cool as can be. “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah,” he says as he tells me my brother threw a fit to be discharged from the hospital. “It’s another wonderful day!” he responds when I call stressed out over … any of the many things that stress me out. “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah,” he replies when I swear everything is falling apart (it’s not).
Before I go any further, I’m aware of controversy over the 1946 Disney film from which the line “zip-a-dee-doo-dah” was pulled. What I’m writing here has nothing to do with that. Please don’t hang me out to dry! Zip-a-dee-doo-dah, for my dad anyway, is a way of life, a motto by which to live. It’s closely akin to “hakuna matata” — which, thanks to TheLion King, we all know means “no worries.” Maybe I should have used that as the title of this piece instead. No one has anything bad to say about The Lion King. (Who am I kidding? You name it, someone’s got a gripe.) Oh well. The idea is to stop taking things so seriously. This has been a longtime battle for my overthinking, overanalyzing brain: Everything is serious! Something could go wrong at any time, and what do we do then? Let’s ponder every possible, surely horrible outcome!
So that is what we won’t do this year, okay? We won’t be guided by fear. We won’t expect the worst. We won’t agonize over things that haven’t happened yet. Instead, we will let go of what we can’t control, or the need for control. We’ll smile through the hard stuff. When life starts life-ing a little too hard, we will say to ourselves, quietly (or loudly to really drive it home), “Zip-a-dee-doo-dah!” And you’ll know when it’s time. A flat tire? Zip-a-dee-doo-dah. Water heater went out? Zip-a-dee-doo-dah. Editor asks you to write another “New Year, New You” blurb? Zip-a-dee-doo-dah! Much like “hakuna matata,” it’s a “problem-free philosophy.”
We’ll still run into problems, of course. But maybe we’ll look at them as opportunities. Maybe we’ll start with small steps to address the ones we want to fix. But we certainly won’t worry. There’s just no sense in that. We’re going to go with the flow. We’re going to let that sh*t go. My dad says so, and that’s that.
