Overdue

Overdue books.  Laundry that piles up in the corner.  Clothes you've been meaning to donate.  Purchases you made and meant to return but it's past the return date now.  Boxes left over from when you moved in that you haven't looked in since you packed them.

We all do this, sometimes things linger and we don't have the time, or don't want to deal with them.  Sometimes we used to want them and we don't know how it came to be, but we don't want them now.

Or maybe we just outgrew it, existentially or, perhaps literally.

In Japan (and other places), part of the New Year's tradition is to completely clean the house and everything in it, to refresh, to start anew.  I think it's a great idea, and Charlie does too as he rolls along with that new bottom bracket that had been needing to be cleaned, refreshed, and ultimately replaced.

But it's more than just cleaning house on the outside.  We perhaps ought to take a good look on the inside too, and see what needs work there as well.  Perhaps there's some change that's long overdue.

Have been pedaling around singing this song a lot:

We talk about world peace at this time of year, even though many of us are the most stressed.  We engage in New Year's resolutions, (exercise and diet!) it's all part of that same cleaning house philosophy.  Buddhism teaches the truest, most lasting, and most empowering change comes from within.  "So if you want to make the world a better place take a look at yourself and make the change."  Every day can be New Year's Day, we have that kind of capacity within us.  Why wait for December 31st to get going? Why not start today? because chances are some change is long overdue.