Fri: I look forward to New Years

I know some people treat the New Year as a clean slate and an opportunity to start over. I’m not really into that. I enjoy dragging everything from this past year into the upcoming year, I’m not interested in starting over. It’s too much work. I’m also not really into the resolution and goals scene. I like both resolutions and goals but celebrate them all year long, not just at New Year. Plus I’m kind of a procrastinator and if I had made some goals for 2009 I would just end up trying to knock them out in the week before 2010 or more likely the night before. And if I can do it in one week or one night, what’s the point in making a yearly goal? I’m sure there’s all kinds of flaws in that logic, but whatever I don’t take New Years seriously enough to re-think it. I do have some things aside from resolutions and “fresh starts” that I’m looking forward to though.

I enjoy new calendars. (I figured I’d start small and work my way up). They just look so clean, and fresh. They’re like 13 pages of potential paired with amazing pictures. Then you can always challenge yourself not to look ahead at the picture from the next month , at least I used to when I was a kid, I could usually hold out till about the 2nd week of the year before I broke down and checked out the remaining 11 months.

I also look forward to the fireworks at midnight. I’m a huge fan of fireworks, everything’s better with them. Ironically I was born in one of the few places on earth where they are illegal. That just makes them all that more special on New Years.

I’m a sucker for tradition, and watching the ball drop is one of the most basic and imitated. There’s nothing quite like watching those lights slowly descend while counting down from 20. The tricky thing is to try and forget that you’re watching it on a 2 hour tape delay. But once you get past that watching the ball is awesome, it really helps fill the void that comes when you realize that nothing really happens when the clock strikes midnight.

This year’s a little different though, I’m going to California for New years and hanging out with family at Knottsberry Farms. I’m definitely looking forward to that. I haven’t been to Knott’s since I was like 12, and even though I really enjoy doing the normal thing every New Year’s, going out of town is always a welcome change of pace…..And I enjoy roller coaster.

Completing a circuit around the sun seems like a pretty silly thing to celebrate, like we could take credit for it or something. I’m not going to argue with it though. How could you not look forward to extra time to enjoy your shiny Christmas presents, eat leftovers, and spend time with family? ( I know that was a little sappy, but it’s only been a day since Christmas and all those TV specials get to me). So I’m excited for New Years, even though it’s not a fresh start and nothing magical happens at midnight, the feeling of everyone in so many places getting together for even 10 seconds to celebrate the accomplishments of last year and the opportunities of next year is something I can’t help but look forward to.