Welcome to 2009. Over the past few days I’ve been contemplating why people make such a large deal out of new years, I mean…it’s just a normal day. Symbolically, many people celebrate new years as a fresh start, a new beginning. Everything bad that happened in 2008 is gone, and you can do whatever you want in the upcoming year.
In theory, I think that sentiment is a good one, forget the past, live in this year, this day, this moment. But I am a little skeptical of the idea. Do we need to have a huge celebration, and a huge crystal ball falling to remind us that we always have a new beginning?
Everyday, we have the choice to forget what happened to us yesterday, and begin anew. The things from 2008 will rear their ugly heads and follow you into 2009, if you chose to let them. In the same regard, the things from yesterday, can do the same. As we’ve been in 2009 for 3 days now, I’m sure many people have had their fair share of arguments, and stresses. We don’t have to wait until 2010 for these to go away, but we can chose to let them go right here and now.
For me, New Years has served as a great reminder that we have the power to change whatever we want, and decide how we feel about things. Though I don’t need that huge crystal ball, the champagne, and the 10 second countdown…it doesn’t hurt.
