Well everyone, happy new year! I hope you all had a happy christmas, or at least, a safe christmas. I spend the day with my family then Conor and I visited my little cousins and gave them presents- was great fun! Can't believe it's 2008, I remember being in P7 and it was coming up to the millenium, everyone thought a crazy computer virus was going to take over the world.. Haha I actually remember having this little book, it was a 'time capsule book' and you wrote all your thoughts in it about the new year and your plans for this millenium. I guess it's an old version of the blog.. unbelievably I'd probably never even been on the internet back then! How weird is that?!

 I dunno about you but I think New year is a strange time of year, everyone sets themselves challenges- things like: I'm going to stop eating junk food, going to start being a nicer person, going to go to the gym etc... Suppose I said to you, right, today I want you to do nothing at all- tomorrow I want you to swim across the atlantic. It wouldn't be do-able, however, if I said to you 'tomorrow, go for a long walk and keep doing walks for the next week, then work up to a run, then start going swimming etc, you'd eventually get to the standard to complete the challenge. If you're finding it hard to stick to your resolutions, do them in bitesize chunks- otherwise you'll get overloaded.

I've decided to take my time over things for my resolution... I have a habit of doing too much and burning myself out.. I'm starting to realise the importance of some quiet time at the end of the day where I don't have to think about university, work or anything else.. You should try it, if you are like me and collapse into bed at the end of each day because you haven't taken the time to sit back and contemplate over the days happenings then give it a go :)  I know you'll all  be busy with school now, christmas test etc- it's not always an easy time of year, just try to stay positive, I believe in you all- anyone I've met on YC are all very talented and I have no doubt that any new member will be the same.

All that's left to say is that I'll be thinking of you all and you won't be forgotten. Have a great 2008 and hopefully I'll be in touch with you all soon!  P.S: Read this poem, always remember to enjoy the happy times while they're there- you're all fantastic, everything you do- be proud of yourselves!

Slow Dance

A poem by David L Weatherford

Have you ever watched kids
on a merry-go-round
Or listened to the rain
slapping on the ground?

Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?

You better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last

Do you run through each day
on the fly
When you ask "How are you?"
do you hear the reply?

When the day is done,
do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
running through your head?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last

Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow
And in your haste,
not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
'Cause you never had time
to call and say "Hi"?

You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast
Time is short
The music won't last

When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away...

Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.