The year is racing towards its end, and how do you feel about that?

I decided to say goodbye to 2023 today as I will be tied up watching The Honeymooners on DVD (I’m living in Florida, and we are culturally deprived, not having WPIX to remind us of our traditions.)

I used to play a game with myself by trying to remember New Years Eves past. There was a time when I could revel in the memories of 15 to 20 past celebrations of transitioning to a new year, but sadly, those days are gone.

It’s not so much that the recall power of those memories has been lost with old age but more attributable to the sheer boredom of most recent Eves, thereby making them unmemorable in the first place.

Even before moving down to Florida, we hardly rejoiced in the recognition that one year was ending while a new one blossomed before our eyes…big whoop, as they say.

Nevertheless, I probably shouldn’t dwell on the dramatic fall from excitement and celebration that my Eves have undergone. After all, do we really need to drink to excess, eat to excess, wear funny hats, and blow tin horns to signify the planet and its passengers getting older?

Auld Lang Syne, or for old time’s sake, is the spirit behind ushering in the new year with a celebration of the past year. What we must remember is that we don’t necessarily have to go to Times Square (although everyone should experience New Year’s Eve there at least once in your lifetime.) or watch the Big Eye in London erupt in a flurry of fireworks at the stroke of midnight on December 31st. A more controlled festivity can be enjoyed by sitting in a comfortable chair with family and loved ones.

This, after all, is what makes surviving the past year in order to welcome the new year a tradition worth savoring.

Now that I think of it, the memory of these Eves really is more worthy of my recollection.

Happy New Year Everyone!

Love.

Peace.

Joy