Testing one's resolve in 2015

To be honest, I’ve always found new year’s resolutions frustrating. I hardly ever follow through on any and, if I do, it's usually a resolution I made several years before. Take 1962, for example, when I resolved not to let that big kid at school intimidate me anymore. A decade or so later I ran into him and was pleased to discover I had grown quite a bit after he stopped. Resolution: check.

This year I have a better idea. I'm going to make resolutions – for other people. For example –

For Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air on National Public Radio: resolved, to avoid giving the full background on her guest at the beginning, end and often in the middle of each and every segment. If you're just joining us, my guest is journalist and author Joe Fabeetz, who just came out with a book entitled ... And on and on. What? Latecomers can't hang around long enough to figure it out? Too bad.

For producers of NPR programs who use music to break up content (I believe they’re called spacers): resolved, to avoid selections that are so discordant, repetitive or irritating they cause me to turn off the radio – after which I forget to turn it back on and miss the rest of the program. Even another pitch for listener support might be more welcome.

And, while I'm on music, another one for the NPR producers: resolved, to take a couple minutes out of those lengthy musician interviews and play at least one of the artist's songs for more than 10 seconds – or even all the way through. I'd gladly forego some of the minutiae, like how that first recording session went or when I really knew music might be a career.

Hmm. Looking at those resolutions, maybe I do have one of my own: resolved, to expand my listening choices a little.