The movie “City Slickers,” released in 1991, was a western comedy that starred Billy Crystal, Daniel Stern, Bruno Kirby and Jack Palance. The story line revolved around three friends, played by Crystal, Stern and Kirby, who had decided to take a vacation to a ranch where they participated in a cattle drive across the West.

The three friends were all experiencing some form of crises in their lives, but while on their back-to-the-basics kind of get-away, life for each of them became clearer.

The show was funny and entertaining, and Jack Palance’s character as the old and wise cowboy was very thought provoking.

However, for me, it was words from a line Crystal delivered that inspired me and has stuck with me through the years.

In the movie, the three friends were riding along on their horses discussing all the mishaps that had occurred in their lives. Crystal turns to them and asks what if they could act like they were younger and playing ball, and when they got a bad hit, they would yell out “Do over?”

“Do over!”  That would be grand!  It would be a chance to either correct the wrongs or recapture missed opportunities.

But, wait, what if we really could get a bona fide “do over?”  Have you ever though that starting over could also mean altering the good that came out of the bad.

For me that would mean I would probably not have had my fourth child, and I am pretty sure, I would never have had the guts to write.

But still, the thought of a second chance is enticing. While I am glad that it is impossible to go back in time, I still think getting a “do over” is possible.

Instead of going back, I like to think of it as an opportunity to go forward. I screw up on a regular basis, and I need lots of “do overs.” Some of the significant times I have chosen to use as rebooting opportunities include the times I go to the altar for communion, during the Easter season, and of course, each new year.

Let me make one thing crystal clear, no pun intended, I need all these opportunities for a “do over!”

My New Year’s resolution list is so long, it will take a heap of “do overs” for me to make it through 2016.

I guess what I am really trying to say is this.  Do not let just one day out of the year serve as the end all for determining what improvements or changes you would like to experience in your life.

Really, you can have a “do over” every day, so do not despair if you eat that chocolate brownie, miss a couple of days at the gym or let a nasty word slip out of your mouth. You can take a “do over!”

Happy New Year!

•

Terri Cowart Frazier is a staff writer for The Vicksburg Post. You may reach her at terri.frazier@Vicksburgpost.com.