Pahrump residents discuss their New Year’s resolutions

Today marks the first day when many Americans who resolved to better themselves in terms of mental and physical health and overall well-being will begin falling away from those pledges.

New Year's resolutions are easy to make, but difficult to maintain.

With just 365 days left until 2017, as 2016 is a leap year, a half dozen Pahrump residents furnished the Pahrump Valley Times with their respective 2016 New Year's resolutions, where a majority cited a more healthier lifestyle.

Dan Devine: "My New Year's resolution is to quit smoking because I'm trying to get healthier. The price of cigarettes are getting higher and higher, so it's time to quit, plus I need to lose some weight as well," he said. "I have made resolutions before, which were mainly tied to weight loss and having a better attitude, which I have actually improved on."

Jim Groeneman: "My resolution this time is to continue helping the Pahrump Senior Center Board of Trustees, staff and our seniors, to continue making this the best in the west senior center period," he said. "I don't usually make New Year's resolutions because I always end up breaking them, but this one I certainly will."

Ron Meeker: "If I made one, I would probably try to do more to stick with my diet, which I'm going to start again the first of the year," he said. "I did the same thing last year and I lost about 20 pounds, so I stuck with my resolution. I'm going to do the same thing again and I plan on losing another seven pounds. I'm really going to do it."

John Showalter: "Something along the lines of more tolerance and patience, which I think are great New Year's resolutions," he said. "Those are qualities that you can actually make, because at least with me, quitting smoking is not going to happen this year. I have made many New Year's resolutions before, but I have almost stopped making them, and that's why I'm not going to quit smoking. Most of us know where our strengths and weaknesses are and we should put them to use."

Constance Sloan: "To have a better understanding of other people and to be more considerate," she said. "I'm normally considerate, but not understanding. My last resolution was to lose some weight and I did. This time I'm going to focus more on being considerate to others."

Cindi Vroenen: "It's been such a great year here in Pahrump, that my New Year's resolution would be to have a better year in 2016," she said. "Not just for us, but for everyone. I'm one of those kind of people where I like to see people happy. For myself, I would have to say I need to stop eating so much candy. The resolutions I've made before have usually worked out. I don't set my expectations too high, so I make my resolutions where I know I can meet them. It worked this year because I like to play in the casinos and I cut back dramatically, mostly because I wasn't winning. If I can't win, it's no fun."

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com