Many people make New Year’s Resolutions. Or perhaps just some people still practice the time old tradition of making personal promises and then breaking them? I am going to forego that doomed-to-fail endeavor this year and replace it with a vision statement. Someone told me Vision Statements are still in vogue. I am going to call it My 2020 Vision and each month (or until I grow tired of the exercise) I will check in to see how well I am maintaining my 2020 Vision.
My 2020 Vision revolves around one word: MORE
MORE Collecting: It may seem daunting, but I am going to try and get out collecting more days in 2020 than I did in 2019. Since I have not counted the days this past year, I will have to do this by feel rather than by direct count, but then I am a geologist and not an engineer or accountant so feel is just fine for me. I hope many of you can join me as I fulfill this part of my vision.
MORE Giving: I have collected rocks, minerals, fossils with giving in mind for several years, but I am losing the battle of space in my garage. Collecting with others in mind is fun, but one does need to process the specimens and find folks to receive them. What started out as an idea to add enjoyment to those days in the field is fast becoming a necessity. Rocks take up space. I will start working on this part of my 2020 Vision by trying to bring something to give (translation: get rid of) to each mineral club meeting. However, don’t expect 2” Herkimers or slabs of native silver.
MORE Writing: This one should be easy. As you may have noticed elsewhere on my blog, Jim Rienhardt and I are starting a second WCGMC newsletter. My ideas for the new WCGMC Sand Times are pretty much endless. I now have over 300 sands in my collection and most of them are deserving of individual attention. I plan to give many of them that attention during the winter months. They each carry a story worth telling. Simply put: if I write more, I learn more.
MORE Research: Writing requires research and the internet certainly makes that more possible than ever. Often I start out to learn something about a location I visited or a mineral/fossil I have acquired and stumble on a note or learning that is completely unrelated to the original search. I could have added more learning as a separate line item, but that seems to be more a result rather than a vision.
MORE Fun: If I can fulfill my 2020 Vlsion above, there is no question that I can have more fun this year. If I collect more, I will enjoy more time in the field with my friends (more fun). If I give more, I will receive the satisfaction associated with gifting (more fun). The smiles of those who receive an egg crate of minerals go a long way. If I write more, I learn more (more fun). More fun + more fun + more fun will equal an incredible year.
Much of my motivation to fulfill each aspect of my 2020 Vision comes from all my mineral collecting friends, especially those in the Wayne Country Gem and Mineral Club. The club has grown rapidly over the past several years. Each new member brings new interests, new experiences, and new knowledge to the group. And yes, each member can bring new vision towards the club’s future success. What is more, if you bring a new idea this year it can be part of your 2020 vision!