Have you ever sat down and just stopped for a minute? Forget meditation. Just sit down, put the phone down, look around, and merely exist for a few minutes. It’s exhilarating, I promise.

Appreciating the little things is on my to-do list for 2021. If last year taught us anything, it’s to soak in all the good things, because the bad is never far behind in the game. I would say I am reaching the halftime of my life. Heart disease, strokes, and other landmines exist in my family bloodline, so I am not fool when it comes to how much time I have on this rock. Get busy living or get busy settling.

Here’s a few things I want to do this next year, feet fail me not, as Eminem would say. We’ve already talked about the book idea, so here are some other things. Before you whine about phony resolutions, let me remind you that if this new year started and you’re still here, make some damn resolutions–or at the very least, don’t shit on someone else’s goals. It’s almost too simple.

~Watch hockey with my brother more often. It’s not easy to try and have a connection with someone who battles schizophrenia, but I have one sibling in this world and he’s it. No excuses. My goal this year is to catch a Blues game per week, because that is something we both enjoy. If you have a common interest that can shut off the black for three hours, make it happen. I love him, and no matter what, Bryan is my big brother. Also, he’s really quiet and intense when watching the game, which balances nicely with my endless screaming and shouting.

~Eat what I want (in moderation). There’s nothing worse than torturing yourself over carbs. We all know the rules by now-calories in and calories out determines your loss-but it’s so much harder said than done. Anybody who tells you different is lying. So I am going to eat all the good foods, continue to work out, and be happy. Please don’t let anyone tell you to lose weight outside of the doctor’s office. If they do, tell them to brush their teeth more often because their breath could make a train turn off a dirt road.

~Monetize the Dose. That’s right. Instead of putting out constant material and content without any dimes coming in here, the wife and me are going to take what I do and make money from it. Stay tuned and support my dreams. It costs you nothing and could be fun. I’m tired of slinging 3-4 jobs at once. Ready to make it one clear job and goal. If not, what the fuck are we doing here? Wasting time while waiting for your opportunity to just drop on your doorstep. Bad idea. Get out there, find what you want, and go get it.

~Judge less. This one can be hard, because it just comes natural. Most often just inside the head, you look at someone and immediately dry a picture. Pencils down this year, because there’s enough shit to worry about than wondering why the woman is shouting into her phone while crossing the street without looking. Some people are dealing a shit ton, so I’ll try to respect their fight.

~Take my dogs for a few more walks. Since my beagle wants to smell every thing on the street, this can be hard. And then there are the other dogs that most dog owners just let prance right up to your pet and ignite a war. Have you ever wondered what they’re talking about, because I do.

Dog #1: “This asshole has three coats on and all she gave me was this thin fucking sweater.”

Dog #2: “I know. You should empty their trash tonight, the pooch way. Dump it, eat as much as you can, pee on the floor, and pass out.”

Dog #1: “And fart right in dad’s face, so it settles into his throat for the morning.”

Dog #2: “Now you’ve got it. Happy hunting. I’m going to sniff these leaves for 10 minutes, peace out.”

~No politics on social media. My batting average for tweeting something that is 20% political and losing at least 20 followers is pretty good. It’s not worth it at all. If you need to talk to someone about the President, talk to your spouse or pet. You can’t win on social media, no matter which team you hit for. Why put so much stock into a system that takes and takes and takes? Joe Biden is in office in 19 days. He’ll figure it out. I’ll just keep living.

~Pull ZERO punches with the Cardinals. I’ve already put this in gear, but it’ll just get stronger as baseball returns. I’m tired of the excuses. Just because the Cardinals have 11 rings, lots of pennants, and a rich history doesn’t mean they get to take their foot off the gas. The World Series honeymoon is over. They haven’t won an NLCS game in six years. Their outfield is rubbish, their starting pitching is getting thin, and the infield defense got worse. The rest of the division is either rebuilding or still flawed. 2021 can be a transition year, but if they don’t fix this team by next winter, fans should start staying home even when things open back up.

Don’t give this team anything more than mild interest until they relearn how to properly spend money and acquire IMPACT players. Paul Goldschmidt and who???

~Respect COVID-19 without letting it control me. This is a big one. Vaccines are just now getting here, and there have been some bumps. Missouri is still experiencing a high amount of cases, and it’s officially winter. But, as the comeback begins and the world starts to turn the ship back to normal, I will do the things I need to do. Go to the gym, go out to a local restaurant, have a beer off tap, hug my family more often, and enjoy life. Really, I just want to hug people more often.

One more thing. Use my superpowers to get St. Louisans to stop killing each other. 2020 was a record year for homicides in our city. That’s pitiful. You instruct people to stay home, and they respond by going out and spreading more violence. I’ll never understand how life can get so bad for someone that they feel like taking another life is the right solution.

Same shit, different year?? We shall see. Just don’t forget about the little things. Hey Netflix, are you listening? Don’t forget about a little, yet mighty, thing called “Kingdom.” The Bring Back Kingdom Facebook page is over 8,000 members strong, and we aren’t shutting up anytime soon. Critically acclaimed and now internationally famous, Byron Balasco’s terrific fight world drama deserves another round–or two.

Speaking of resolutions and another rounds, I am going to start shouting to the rooftops about why you need to watch the tremendous new Mads Mikkelson film, “Another Round.” Wait for the last scene. It’s a stunner.

Thanks for reading and please tip your writer with a share if you liked the piece.

-DLB