Happy New Year!

I'm glad it's a new year. It's time to leave the baggage from last year behind and look forward with hope to a new year. I know that the glow won't last, but I'm enjoying it while it does.

So, here's the list of resolutions and goals that I, Andy Reker, will have for this new year:

(1) Lose 30 lbs and drop to 12~15% body fat by next New Years.
**I'm tired of being this heavy, time to actually follow up on a resolution
(2) Make a relationship with someone who lets me grow as a person
**I need a rock to help anchor my world, and of course someone to whine to.
(3) Laugh harder, and more often, with abandon
**I want smile wrinkles, and laugh wrinkles, not stern wrinkles!
(4) Find the right study-abroad location for me
--Program is good
--I get the most out of the experience
--The study abroad family is a nice, pleasant, AND understanding family
--No armed conflict for 500km from my home-stay house
--Time to go explore before, during, and after the program
--Best food
**Probably the number 2 reason I went to SUA; and the number 3 reason why I stay, better be good!
(5) Support my family in life
--Finding acceptance AND support of my sexuality from my parents
--Support my obaachan as much as possible, because she has the heart of a 20 year-old and the body of an 80 year-old.
--Support my brothers to become the best people before they enter college.
(6) Have tremendous growth in the SGI in OC and in Fort Collins.
--I want to see the Fort Collins Community Center built in 10 years!
--Build a balanced 4-divisional unified front that actively promotes world peace, throughout the world.
(7) Support Sensei coming to the US in anyway I can.
--Finding the time to do S-Group or G-Group whenever I can
--Building trust with others
--Making connections within my own communities for peace
(8) Support the Worldwide Culture Festival in OC for the summer in any way I can
--Using my background from the PeaceFest on Sept 30th 2001 in Denver, I want to support to make a 100 000 person festival. Huge! Success!
--Show to Sensei the strength of the Youth and the unity in the SGI.
(9) To learn another language
--Completely devote myself to understanding the Chinese language, and not just squaking
--Better understanding and continue to try to use the Spanish language more often
--Use my skills to help me understand a larger group of people
(10) Support the Identity Club
--Begin with basic meetings, supporting dialogue
--Add larger events: "Coming Out Day" "World AIDS Day" "Day of Silence" "Right to Marry Day" Etc etc
--Outreach into the community, conducting dialogues
(11) Support VOV, in any way I can, as just driving support, or something even better, as someone who actually works in the VOV presentations.
--Connect myself to the VOV leader in my area
--Support those who go to activities with my diamoku, and my physical presence
(12) Keep in touch with my peers and friends from HS/JHS
--I do a bad enough job as it is, I can't get worse; it can only get better from here on out.
--Emails, phone calls, letters
(13) Keep in touch with Erika, Chiaki, Jero^me, Petr, and those who live in foreign lands
--I want to keep the connection to those people alive!
(14) Save money so that I can (a) stay in the OC for the summer festival and (b) travel in Europe or Latin America before, during, and after I go to study abroad.
--Experience before my even greater experience
(15) Donate $125 for Zaimu and $175 for May contributions, at the least.
--I'll get it back somehow anyways; and it's going to a better cause than any other I can think of
(16) Look stupid, but start introducing others to buddhism. I know that I have friends who are unhappy, and I know the key to start becoming happy.
--I am screwed by others view of my religion. It's time to let that go, and be unafraid of looking stoopid and actually start living 'loud' and showing what my philosophy/religion can do for someone.
(17) Support my districts in developing capable youth for this century
--Supporting all the members in my district to become capable people
--Seeking out the JH/HS memebers and supporting them anyway I can

Eh, that's a big enough list for now...
That crane will be full...whenever we get the Origami paper to write the goals on....

Mood: "Tired"
Music: The Humming of the Reker Refridgerator
Light: none!