Filler: vows

     When I was young, I made a lot of vows concerning the rest of my life. And surprisingly, most of them I have been able to keep. Here's a short list of those I can remember:

• No addictive substances in my life, ever. 
• The "hardest" drug I have ever used was a prescription painkiller when I got a concussion after hitting a parked car on my bike when I was 11, and I've only been mildly drunk twice in my life. Being clean and sober is a habit, too. :)
• Never deprive myself of sleep. 
• I have yet to pull an all-nighter for anything, and I'm sure the people who have to deal with me regularly appreciate it.

Never done it, never will. 

• No caffeine in the morning. 
• Keeping this one makes keeping the previous one easier. If you know that you have to deal with the consequences of sleep deprivation without outside help, you're less likely to do it.
• No getting back with ex-anythings.
• It takes a fair bit for me to say that things are over, in any sort of relationship. But once I do, it's because they've pushed past any hope of reconciliation. The guy I married realized that he "really did love me" after all the crap he'd put me through, after the paperwork had been filed and approved, and asked if we could get back together. I quite firmly said no, and didn't regret it at all, especially given the childish way he behaved when I put my foot down. Mistakes are a part of life, going back and re-living those mistakes is just futility.
• Be honorable and ethical, even when people can't see you. 
• Sometimes this has resulted in telling on myself, when people come looking for those responsible, later. But I can honestly say I have no regrets about this one. Better in my book to face the music and pay the price than to have to keep track of lies and shady dealings. It helps with that whole "never deprive myself of sleep" thing. 

All right all right, I did bury the cat!

• Age gracefully. 
• This one's a little harder than most. Every so often, I do get down about the wrinkles and grey hairs that are starting to happen, but for the most part I've maintained good humor and acceptance about them.

     Turns out I was a pretty smart kid. These vows have made my life a lot easier, int he long run, and have helped me keep my life pretty on track. Fortunately, I didn't make any vows about my attitude... those might have been broken (repeatedly) in a couple phases on my life. Cheers!