No New Year revolution

Welcome to 2013, the year after the year the world didn't end.

It was an odd thing, all that apocalyptic anxiety about the Mayan calendar last month. Apparently the Maya counted days using a system that ended on 21st December 2012, which prompted some people to anticipate a cataclysm. I wasn't convinced but then I've got a Casio digital watch with a 'universal calendar' until 2039. My biggest concern is remembering to put it on eBay in around 25 years’ time. Our resident teenager expected some form of zombie attack and spent most of the month preparing for it by battling reanimated corpses on his Xbox. Mind you, he still bought Christmas presents for us in case the undead didn't inherit the earth.

Although 2013 isn't going to be popular with many triskaidekaphobes - every Friday 13th will have an extra sting in the tail - I'm not especially bothered by the supernatural. In fact, I've been feeling positive enough to consider making a new year's resolution. Now, I ruled out any kind of health-related commitment pretty quickly. Jogging in the rain isn't fun. My nearest indoor fitness facility is Ringmer pool, which would be okay if I had Daniel Craig's swimming trunks. And his looks. Anyway, I've been known to run for the 28 bus. Even worrying that I'll miss the bus burns calories, doesn't it?

Then there's personal improvement. I considered a resolution about honesty but already believe it’s generally best to tell the truth. Offering fashion advice and receiving unwanted Christmas gifts are the usual exceptions I've discovered in recent weeks. "Yes, it suits you perfectly. How wonderful, I've always wanted one of those". Okay, I confess I haven't told various family members they sometimes appear in this very vivalewes.com column although neither have I been untruthful. I may occasionally employ hyperbole, pathos and a little incidental music to make a point... but I really do live in Ringmer with two cats, a non-fictional wife and a vampire hunter.

Ah yes, Ringmer. Much as I might try to convince my mother it's an upmarket suburb of Lewes - rather like South Kensington is to London or Beverly Hills is to the county of Los Angeles - we all know that's not the case. Korean pop-master Psy isn't coming here to record 'Ringmer Style'. (It would be similar to Gangnam Style but with fewer cars and more horse-riding). We're simply a village that's fortunate to have a parade of shops and an assortment of other local facilities. Therefore my resolution for 2013 is that I'll use them more than I did last year, making the most of what I’m lucky enough to have on my doorstep. We may not have the variety of retail outlets you'll find in Lewes... but that's hardly the end of the world, is it?

First published on vivalewes.com 10th January 2013: http://vivalewes.com/