Residents declare resolutions going into 2021

Asking someone their New Year’s resolution can be quite personal. A resolution is defined as a firm decision., and the changing of the year is the ultimate restart button. So, when asked what major life change are you determined to make, people tend to have a fight, flight or freeze approach. They fight for themselves. With a plan of attack, they speak of their approach to change with gusto, like the gentleman leaving True Value with quite a lot of pep in his step.

“I will regain financial peace! Thanks to Dave Ramsey.” This young man will apply a whole new approach to his handling of his finances. “The goal is to be rich, not look rich. With the snowball method I will be out of debt. I am aware of my shortcomings when it comes to money now, and by ‘dumping,’ this is how I will be able to achieve my goal/resolution and finally have financial freedom.”

That is quite the New Year’s resolution -- concrete, established and definite.

There is also the flight approach. Take the new year and run. Young Mary Jane Flores a seventh grader at Palm Avenue Middle School learned that she developed some unbecoming habits this past year.

“I do not want to waste any more time with laziness and unhealthy habits. I’m going to read more and start choosing healthy snacks over the usual Takis.” When asked if this was an achievable, she assuredly replied, “Yes. I want to learn a new hobby, and I ‘m excited to read new books.” Her attitude showed she would make the effort to do it..

A handful of patrons had great resolutions to do this, or to finally do that. Then there’s the “freezers,” or perhaps “chillers,” not really frozen at all in their approach to the new year. “Just chilling, taking it day by day.” said a grandmother of four as she enters Theresa’s for her call-in order.

“I used to say I’ll quit smoking this year, or this time around I’ll lose the unwanted weight. But once my resolution changed to be more God focused, everything fell into place. We learn time and time again; nothing is for certain. I stopped believing I was in control a long time ago. I do what I can and put my trust in God’s plan.”

She radiated love, but declined a picture.

Surrounded by women giving their testimonies of when they made the resolution to stop making resolutions, Denise Gonzales, mother, salon owner, and Wasco native agrees,

“I just take it day by day. Every day I put my faith in God and every day My God provides. No one saw this past year coming, but we did get through it. As a small business owner, my hopes is that we support local, and we flourish no matter the circumstances, because we are small-town people with big-time faith.”