L'Shana Tovah Tikatevu

Yesterday and today were the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, literally the 'head of the year.' I certainly don't seem to keep my secular new year's resolutions so lets see what I can do about my Jewish new year's resolutions.

Yet again I'm not really making a resolution here - as I said in a previous post - no promises - but lets see what I can do.

The time around Rosh Hashanah is called the Days of Awe. This is our yearly judgement day. Someone asked me if we celebrate and get drunk on our new year's eve. That is the exact opposite of what the intention is for this time.

This is a time of contemplation, a time to look back and judge ourselves. As the rabbis say an important idea during this time is "Zikkaron" or remembering.

I look back on this year and I remember many things. In some ways it has been a very good year and in some ways a pretty stressful year.

But what has been constant during this year is my feeling of not recording, of not thinking deeply enough about what is happening around me, to me and because of me.

Blogging it seems has gotten under my skin.

I also appreciate the comments and emails I've received from people who evidently were following my blog. More than I ever imagined.

I have probably lost those readers given how long it has been since I last wrote in this blog but perhaps over time I will gain more. Although as I write I realize that I'm not writing this blog to advertise my life to the world but to give me incentive to think, write and perhaps find some discipline.

I'll also be challenged to figure out how to improve the looks and functioning of this blog as well as connect it to my other social media presences - facebook, twitter (twitter.com/kesten - feel free to follow me there)

I actually learned something at synagogue this year - an anecdote on a handout.

The supplicant climbed the mountain to ask the Wise One how to achieve enlightenment.

The Wise One said: Good decision

How do I make good decisions? asked the supplicant

The Wise One said: Experience

How do I get experience? asked the supplicant

The Wise One said: Bad decisions