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Brian Lehrer: Brian Lehrer on WNYC, and for our last 10 minutes or so, how about a call in on your most original New Year's resolution for 2024? Who's got one? 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Call in and tell us any of the goals that you'll be setting out to achieve this year that, let's say, aren't related to diet and exercise and weight or money. Your original unusual non-traditional New Year's resolutions for 2024. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692.
Does anybody do New Year's resolutions anymore or is that something that people talk about, that some people did in the past, because it used to be a media thing and now nobody does New Year's resolutions anymore? I don't know, but if you made any New Year's resolutions, and you think you made any original slightly, even slightly, out of the ordinary New Year's resolutions for 2024, this is your one chance to shout them out on The Brian Lehrer Show. 212-433-WNYC.
You can also text with it at the same number, 212-433-9692. I guess you can interpret this question in a lot of different ways. Like after another year of so many difficult headlines, for example, maybe you're thinking 2024 is a chance to reevaluate your relationship with the news. Do you resolve to have more fun in 2024? Not just to eat your broccoli and not so much of your saturated fats and do better in that way.
You can let us know about a resolution that would have you enjoying yourself more in 2024. Maybe any niche interests or hobbies that you plan to take up or pursue with more vigor in the new year. Maybe one of your goals this year is to meet new people and make new friends around shared interests. You can tell us about people-oriented New Year's resolutions as well. Your non-traditional or most original New Year's resolutions. Let's say anything other than diet and exercise and managing your money better. 212-433-WNYC, 212-433-9692. Call or text, as people are doing, your original New Year's resolutions right after this.
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Brian Lehrer on WNYC. Now to your non-traditional, your original, your unusual New Year's resolutions starting with Sean in Matawan. Sean, you're on WNYC. Happy New Year.
Sean: Happy New Year to you Brian. Can I tell you, though it wasn't an official resolution, speaking with you is something I've always wanted to do. You are a hero.
Brian Lehrer: Aw. Bucket list. Check it off. Yay, glad you're on. What else you got?
Sean: Thank you. My New Year's resolution this year is I want to learn to gallop on a horse. I'm going to go 25 miles an hour on a horse, and it is going to be the greatest feeling I've ever had.
Brian Lehrer: Do you ride horses at all already?
Sean: I have gotten a little bit of training. Right now I am capable of a trot which is like a slow-- It's not a walk but it's a slow kind of move, but galloping gets you up to about 20-some-odd miles an hour, and I think that would feel incredible.
Brian Lehrer: Awesome Sean, I hope you do it. Call us when you do, okay? Koren in Sparta, New Jersey, you're on WNYC. Hi, Koren.
Koren: Hi, how are you? Thanks for taking my call.
Brian Lehrer: Certainly. Happy New Year. What's your resolution?
Koren: My resolution is, and it has been, actually, for two years- I didn't realize how difficult it is -I just want to be myself and do a better job at it.
Brian Lehrer: Wow, that's a pretty fundamental New Year's resolution. How do you, if-
Koren: It is.
Brian Lehrer: -you feel comfortable talking about it, how do you feel you're not being yourself?
Koren: I think I struggle to stand up for myself and my opinion. I've always been afraid of hurting people's feelings, and in the long run, I realize that is not working in the end when you're trying to protect others and you-- Not standing up for yourself.
Brian Lehrer: Take it out on yourself.
Koren: I'm [unintelligible 00:05:13] so I think she should be able to do this [chuckles] better.
Brian Lehrer: Koren, thank you. Good luck with that. Thank you for sharing it. Here's one coming in as a text message which maybe the opposite of that a little bit. Listener writes, "I resolve not to resolve." Maybe it's another version of being yourself. "I resolve not to resolve. Accept my imperfections including my chubby belly," writes that listener. Linda in New Orleans, you're on WNYC. Hi, from New York, Linda, Happy New Year.
Linda: Hi, Brian, Happy New Year. My New Year's resolution, which I wasn't even going to make one, but I did it last night watching the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, is to get out of my music bubble.
Brian Lehrer: Get out of your music bubble. What's in your music bubble and what else do you want to listen to?
Linda: Well, because I live in New Orleans, I go hear jazz, and I actually also do a jazz show of traditional jazz, and that's what I go see all the time. It makes me so happy, and I see the same musicians, and I love them, but now I'm going to go see hip hop and reggaeton and-- What else is there? [chuckles] Rock & Roll.
Brian Lehrer: That's very good. [chuckling] Yes, so many-
Linda: There's a lot of music out there.
Brian Lehrer: -so many things. Salsa music, all kinds of things. Linda, thank you very much, that's a great one. Expand your musical horizons. Listener texts, "Last year I gave up any kind of road rage. No honking, no tailgating, no passing, et cetera, et cetera, and it worked. So much better for me and the rest of the world," so there's a New Year's resolution accomplished, I guess, from one driver from last year. Anne in Montrose, you're on WNYC. Hi, Anne, Happy New Year. What's your unusual resolution?
Anne: Hey, Brian, Happy New Year. I live up near West Point, and we sponsor West Point Cadets. Also now they're a medical school so medical students and West Point Cadets. Last night we all decided it would be fun to watch this great movie that I highly recommend to everyone called 50/50 with that Gordon-Levitt guy and Seth Rogen. We wanted our kids to watch it because they're doctors, they're going to be doctors, and it's about medicine as well.
Anyway, there's a scene where Seth Rogen says to Gordon-Levitt, he says, "You haven't told your mother that you have cancer yet," and he goes, "No, I haven't because it's too hard to tell her things." Then you cut to Anjelica Huston who's playing his mom, who is just screaming, "My baby, my baby, why has this happened to me? The running joke is that Gordon-Levitt is the guy with the problem but-- We actually made resolutions. We went around the dinner table last night, we made resolutions. My resolution is when people bring me problems, I'm going to be the person that makes it better not worse.
Brian Lehrer: Oh, that's a beautiful one. Yes, sometimes you don't want to tell somebody your problem because then instead of them taking care of you, you're going to wind up taking care of them about taking care of you. All right, this went by so fast. We only have time for one more. I'm remembering the guy who said he's going to learn to gallop on a horse. Charles in Morristown, you've got 15 seconds. Go for it.
Charles: My goal for this coming year is I want to get my lighter-than-air rating so I can fly my balloon.
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Brian Lehrer: We've got the guy who's going to gallop on the horse, we've got the guy who's going to fly in his hot air balloon, we have the person who's not going to make other people's problems worse, and the one who's going to be herself finally. Happy New Year.
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