Just change something

Went to teach for a couple of hours this morning, and three people mentioned No Dairy January to me.  I consider that success, even though one of them seemed to be enjoying his cheesy breakfast burrito a little too much. 

I haven't publicly altered my diet in a long time, and I'd forgotten how interesting it is to other people.  I gave up meat in college, but in Ann Arbor in 1993 there weren't that many people questioning vegetarianism.  Actually, in the Bursley Hall cafeteria, there was just a lot of dietary oneupmanship: "I don't eat anything that has a face!"  "Well, *I* only eat plants that photosynthesize!"  A few years ago, some health-related issues led me to do a veggie/juice fast, which fascinated people, and then I gave up alcohol, which *really* drew criticism from my brass-playing community.  Yep--they were ok with my not eating solid food, but when I quit drinking, I lost 95% of my social life. 

No Dairy January has turned some heads, and some people don't seem happy.  Besides the "no way!" responses (like I'm ordering anyone to join me?!), I have had multiple requests to move it to February, since it's a shorter month.  Three days?  Tell you what: if you want to just do No Dairy (first 28 days of) January, I will give you credit for that.  As if I'm keeping track.  It's not like half the nation is joining NDJ, or like anyone's going to take away your cookie for having milk in your coffee on January 29th. 

It's 31 days.  744 hours--and you'll be asleep for at least a couple hundred of them.  You make the rules--want to give up only cheese?  Give up only cheese.  Switch to tea instead of lattes for a month.  Go vegan, yay you.  Instead of buying a coffee and muffin every day, just buy the coffee--put the two bucks from the muffin into a jar every night and get a massage at the end of the month.

Actually, that last sounds good to me.  I wish I had a muffin habit so I could quit it and pay for a massage.

Just change something!  It's New Year's Eve tomorrow, and everyone's going to be resolving this and giving up that.  I haven't made a concrete New Year's resolution in years.  It's too hard to keep up--and too easy to just wait till next year (or next month) before trying again.  Change something small, and do it now.  Just one day.  If you fall off the wagon, get back on. 

Give up dairy.  Pack your own lunch.  Practice your horn every day.  Write a blog entry every night--even if it's just a short one about nothing.  (Even if it's just a lame top ten list.)  Change something small.  When you've done it for a month, it becomes much, much bigger.