Exercise? I exercised a lot in 2007. I exercised my option not to exercise. I curled forks (heavy forks!) and beverages instead of barbells. I opted for work instead of workouts.

Well … not so well. As the year waned, I grew tired of people telling me that I didn’t look like my picture in the paper. And I just grew tired, period.

Enough! Be it resolved that in 2008, I will see fit to let you see me fit. I didn’t just jump on the bandwagon — or treadmill — last week. Activate Don started around Thanksgiving, around the time the high school and college football seasons started to wind down.

This isn’t my only resolution. I went through 2007 with a messy desk but found the time to clean it a week or two before Christmas. I am resolved to keep it clean(er).

I also am resolved to kick my St. Louis Cardinals baseball addiction down a notch or three. No sweat. Because my team seems resolved to endure a rebuilding year, this goal easily should be attainable. Now … how many days until pitchers and catchers report?

That’s plenty of resolutions for a new year, but I will add one more. This one involves readers. It’s a small number, mind you, but an annoying number that is growing.

I pride myself on patience, courtesy and good manners, but those qualities were tested in 2007, and I found myself growing testy. I counted to 10. I held my breath. I bit my tongue. Ouch! It hurt.

Don’t get me wrong. I encourage feedback. I invite questions. I welcome criticism.

But when some readers criticize me, our newsroom or the newspaper in general, they cross a line. They can’t stop with making a point. They must hurl insults, and they often lay them on thick. What is it with people these days? America is cranky, and it’s getting crankier.

In 2007 and previous years, I spent a lot of time and energy responding to comments from readers who I’m not sure even wanted a response. Some even said I did not need to reply. But silly me. I replied to many anyway. And I learned the hard way that this can only make an angry person angrier.

So I’ll draw a line in 2008. I’ll converse with people who want to converse … civilly. I’ll reply to people who send me e-mails that aren’t hostile.

I’ll try harder to identify questions and comments that are rhetorical, though it’s often hard to distinguish. I firmly refuse to respond to vile with vile of my own.

Constructive criticism? Bring it on, as always. Questions? Comments? Second-guessing? Be reasonable and I will listen and respond all day.

But push my button the wrong way and that’s it. I will exercise my right to exorcise e-mails from my in-box, pushing the “delete” button instead of “reply.” This is where I will buy more time to exercise.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to crunch my abs. Hold the snickers (and the Snickers). I’m working on a six-pack.

Don Kausler Jr., editor of the

Independent-Mail, can be reached at (864) 260-1249 or by e-mail at kauslerdh@IndependentMail.com.

Visit his blog at IndependentMail.com.