thoughts on the news of the day: promises, promises

hmmm…..

            The New Year’s Resolution to lose weight began simply enough.  Jay Wornick, a resident of New York State made a bet with his wife to lost weight.  The loser of the bet promised to have a tattoo of the other’s name inked on their stomach.  Jay thought he would maybe lose 20 or 30 pounds and then gain it all back.  But with diligent efforts, he was able to lose 200 pounds over this past year.  Needless to say, he won the bet.  His wife is trying to figure out where the tattoo will go.

            Promises can come back to haunt you.  In passing, we promise someone that we will do something.  We don’t think much more about it, but the receiver of the promise does.  The one “promised to” is counting on the “promiser” to fulfill the commitment, but the one who promises may not even remember it.  When my daughter was little I absentmindedly promised her that I would build her a tree house. Twenty years later, I still haven’t accomplished that goal and she has never forgotten it.

            Politicians make promises all the time, but we don’t believe them.  Why should we?  We know that they are not going to be able to keep them.  Even those promises that are likely and easy probably can’t be kept.  But we remember and we feel betrayed. 

            It’s easy to say, “I promise” but very hard to remember and keep that commitment we made.  Relationships get broken that way. 

            Promise to keep your promises today.

            hmmm…..