A RESOLUTION
Judy Conlin
At church today, the minister said there were three things that one should not be. They were tired, retired and tiresome. I have been thinking about this ever since. I am all three . You read about it in my column. I am tired all the time. I fall asleep if I sit down to watch TV. I have retired at least three times. And as I am constantly complaining I have become tiresome. I felt so bad about myself. What a failure I was. Then, as I went back to his lesson, I wasn’t as bad as I thought. I was not a person who used tired all the time as an excuse to do nothing. I’m still doing. He was not referring to people who retire from a job, but of people who retire from life. I still do have a couple of paying jobs, plus I am involved in many activities in life. However, I do think I’ve become tiresome by always complaining about old age and the things I can no longer do.
You are wondering why I bring all this up. My column is not a religious column. The truth is this week starts a new year and traditionally it is a time to make resolutions to be better in the future. Realizing that I have become tiresome constantly complaining about all the disadvantages of getting old, complaining about Nurse Judy and all her antics, complaining about my cats, complaining about the weather, complaining about my knees, complaining about everything. It shouldn’t have taken a minister to make me realize that I was becoming a whiner. Therefore, my one and only New Year’s resolution this year is to quit complaining.
I tell this to Nurse Judy. She gives me the evil eye. “You didn’t need to go to church to find that out,” she says. “I could have told you how overbearing you are.. You help make your living by always complaining about me. I cost you too much money. I want too many nice clothes. I always want to go to parties. I want my hair curled, manicures and pedicures. I want lotions and potions. I’m always asking for new shoes. All I want are the everyday necessities of every American female.”
I can feel the blood vessels in my neck throbbing. “I am an American female ,” I say, trying to be reasonable and keep my blood pressure down. “Don’t you think all those things you say I complain about are just a little excessive? I don’t seem to require them.”
“That’s because you’re a frump,” she says. ‘Frumps don’t care about their appearance.”
I’ve heard her say this so often, but it still hurts. I would usually snap back at her, but I am really trying to turn over a new leaf this year. Biting my tongue I say, “Perhaps we could sit down and talk about this calmly.”
She laughs at me. ”Your eyes are bulging,” she says. “You really do have a hard time being nice don’t you?”
I am determined to turn the other cheek. As calmly as I can I tell her that I always try to help others and to serve where I can.
She laughs again. “What can an old woman with bad knees do to help others?” she asks. “You are the one who needs help.”
“I am strong and courageous,” I say. “I keep going no matter what.”
“Going downhill,” she says. “That’s where you’re going.”
I can take no more. “You’re getting tiresome,” I say, “with your constant complaining about me. I’m not putting up with it anymore.”
“What about your resolution?” she asks slyly.
“I’m getting a new one,” I say.|
“What about the minister? What will he think?”
“He’ll think that neither you or I interpreted his message correctly and our resolution should just be to be kinder to everyone, including each other.
There was a long pause. Then she said softly, “That’s a really hard resolution to keep, I guess we could try.”
“I agree,” I say.
Happy New Year, everyone.
More later,
A kinder, gentler, less complaining 2026 Judy (Can’t speak for Nurse Judy)
