New Year's Resolutions

Well, it's that time of year again when the guilty, the gluttonous and the just plain overindulgent masses decide to "change their lives for the better". Ah yes, gym memberships soar, the latest faddish diet books are purchased and followed (albeit briefly) and other quick-fixes are utilized in hopes of making ME ME ME the best person that I can be. Funny how these resolutions are often self-indulgent, narcissistic, and, dare I say, selfish. How many times do hear someone say, "I'm going to give more to charity this year" or "I resolve to spend x hours of my time volunteering"?  Well, if you're like me, you NEVER hear anyone talk about how they are, personally, going to make this world a better place. Instead, it's all about how "I" can improve "myself". Just a thought folks, but if you took the money you spent on all that overeating, excessive drinking and chain-smoking indulgence and gave it to your local food bank or bought toys for the kids in the women's shelter down the street, maybe you would be doing something useful, and maybe, just maybe, you wouldn't be making a pointless list of New Year's Resolutions, that, let's face it, are going to be broken within the first month. I don't have a problem with self-improvement, but really, how skinny are you going to have to be before you're happy with how you look, and how much time in spinning classes are you going to spend before you're convinced that "cancer isn't going to kill me"? Like the old expression goes, "do everything in moderation".  But hey, that's not what the latest snake-oil salesman on the Internet is selling, and it's not what some talentless, reality television family is pushing on their show, so it can't be that easy. Can it?