In The Loop – January 7, 2022
Did you know that the ancient Babylonians are said to have been the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. They made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects they had borrowed. These promises could be considered the forerunners of our New Year’s resolutions. If the Babylonians kept to their word, their gods would bestow favor on them for the coming year. If not, they would fall out of the gods’ favor—a place no one wanted to be.
So in modern days New Year’s resolutions have changed a bit – mostly people worldwide make New Year’s resolutions every year in an attempt to improve their lives. Common resolutions are to exercise more, eat healthier, save money, lose weight and reduce stress.
Now that 2022 has arrived, and the opening of session is only 30 days away, I started to think about my new year’s resolution. As I was struggling to come up with my own, I began to wonder what legislators were thinking about for theirs. I reached out to a diverse group – asking what their New Year resolution was. Was it personal, family oriented or just a challenge they’ve been wanting to take? Different folks, different takes for sure…