By Ricky Swindle

Muffler Shop Musings

Howdy, friends!

It won’t be long and this old year will be in our rearview mirror.

It’s been a strange year, but not nearly as messed up as 2020. Every year from now on out will be compared to that past and wicked 365 days of 2020, at least in our lifetime anyway.

New Year’s resolutions. What are yours? I, myself don’t have anything written down that I want to resolve other than trying to get a little more healthy I suppose.

But getting healthy has nothing to do with jumping jacks or jogging up and down the road in my mind. I have no desire to be healthy or unhealthy and tired, too, so I resolve to eat a bit better.

Every year around this time, thousands and thousands of treadmills and different types of exercise equipment are bought only to be used as clothes hangers later on in the year.

The membership rolls to health clubs increase every new year only to have backsliders meet up in the spring on the pie aisle of The Pig. I’ll just save that money to use elsewhere.

My wife does that yoga thing and I have sneaked in the house and spied on her doing it a time or two.

That’s not for me either because first of all my cologne would be replaced with the smell of WD-40, or some other penetrating oil, to be used greasing my almost six decade old joints to attempt those yoga maneuvers. 

Plus, knowing my luck, I’d get hung up in one of those pretzel poses and be required to call in first responder assistance to uncurl me. So, no yoga for me, I’ll pass on that.

Some of you out there may be resolving to stop smoking. I applaud your decision. I will give you, as a loved one to a past smoker, great advice to heed.

It is not going to be easy for the smoker, or the second hand smoker either. Easily aggravated with strong words sometimes follow the course, but it’s all part of the process of exorcising, if you will, the nicotine demon.

The best thing to do is be quiet about it. Don’t ask the cigarette possessed person “Hey, how’s the quitting going? Did you smoke one today? Did you think about it?” Just don’t mention it…ever. If they mention it, change the subject.

Old saying goes “out of sight, out of mind.”M y saying is don’t bring the subject up and let it go away.

I messed around, over indulging my entire adult life, and got too heavy which led to Type 2 diabetes. In the process of being treated for the disease, I’ve lost over 30 pounds. Go figure.

The main thing us portly people need to keep in mind is we didn’t get this way overnight, and it ain’t going to come off overnight either. But, you have to start somewhere, and I reckon New Year’s Day 2022 is as good as any day.

But, hey man, we got to eat those peas first. We can’t successfully resolve anything without a little good luck from those black-eyed peas.

Take care of yourself folks, eat them peas and have a Happy New Year!