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To me, making New Year's resolutions on midnight of January 1st is just asking for trouble. Why? Because on that date and particularly at that time, we tend to let sentiment and Scotch cloud our thinking. Watching an electrical "ball" slide down on top of a building in New York creates a frenzy that defies sensibility. If the weather is bad, the rain serves to awaken drunken celebrants that dive into store fronts as soon as the New Year is proclaimed. Others hunt for taxis or for the next bar to continue their personal partying. They cling to a companion and wave senselessly at people passing by. And finally the crowd disperses in a tidal wave of moving humanity that rolls and pushes its way out of the street and into the adjoining roadways. Streamers and noisemakers go with them in the sick sound of a party at its end, or a revolution just beginning. In either case, there is pushing, shoving, and trampling over others in the name of having fun.
Many years ago, when I was just out of high school, I went into New York on New Year's Eve to "watch the ball drop". My date took me to dinner in New Jersey and we caught a bus into the city where we went to a discothèque for dancing. We were so intent on watching the time so that we wouldn't miss the ball dropping that we even forgot to drink! But when my date said that it was time to go to Times Square, I gathered up my coat and handbag and left one party in pursuit of another. The spot that we found to stand was on a sidewalk, out of the way of single celebrants that were playing noisy horns and appeared to be drunk. Then as midnight approached, the crowd began their loud count-down: "ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, ONE! With that the "ball" dropped down, the crowd went wild, and in what seemed like a tsunami they rolled together away from the building. Standing in it was a prescription for disaster as we were pushed, shoved, and nearly knocked down by a tide of humanity. It had begun to snow, and the big, wet flakes had made puddles on the street deep enough to make us feel soaked from head to toe. Now all we had to do was get to the bus stop and go home. The ride home was noisy and soggy, and when it was over we vowed to NEVER do it again. We would watch it on TV where it was dry and safe. Next year we would go to parties at our friends' homes. This was an unspoken first New Years resolution. We could say that we were "in the crowd watching the ball drop", and that was enough. As a result of this experience, I began the process of making resolutions after the fact. To that end, I resolve:
If I work at it and prioritize these jobs, it could work out well. It might even clean off my desk enough to be able to FIND THINGS because I could SEE them. Years back I was a meticulous book keeper, file clerk, and record keeper. Now is the time to get back to the good habits and weed out the bad ones. In fact last December we didn't even stay up late enough to watch the ball drop! We were certain nothing new would happen, and the prospect of early sleep sounded better. Besides, someone in the area sets off fireworks when the clock strikes midnight. Patches is terrified, and by doing our nightly routine early, we avoid terrorizing the poor dog by taking him out early. That way all of us had a happy new year! Just Mom |
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| Cartoon Courtesy of Coffee Cup Software |