Happy New Year!
Like a bright, shiny new penny, New Year's is ripe with promise. We don't have a clue what is in store - some of us only have a slight glimpse of what Might Be or What They Want. Most, however, haven't given much thought forward.
I look at the New Year as a blank canvass. What colors would be best? Any particular sounds or motions? How about some scents and flavors? What feels good?
That canvass is more than a place to put things, it is the opportunity to build a new environment complete with sights, sounds, tastes and whatever else tickles the senses.
We also get two, count 'em!, two New Years - One Traditionally on the first day of the year and the second for Chinese New Year - January 23, 2012. The Year of the Dragon.
I often think of this as a second chance to start fresh.
Looking back is often useful, a way to see what happened and what can be improved upon. Sadly, I think, too many folks live in the past or dwell on what might have been or why something didn't happen. They'd rather be somewhere other than where they are and don't realize that maybe, just maybe, they are where they are most needed right now and the gift of their presence is more valuable and more important than they can possibly imagine.
Garth Brooks' song, Unanswered Prayers, is to me a gift - a reminder that we do get answers to our prayers every day - just not always the ones we want.
Reality is, bread is no longer 10 cents a loaf, a stamp will most likely never again be one penny and The Simple Life is the way you define it now, not the way it may have been (imagined to have been) then. Too often the fantasy we have about the way things used to be is a lot less...authentic to what was. Let's be honest, it took a lot more work to do a lot less in the Good Old Days. It was often uncomfortable, unhygienic and lot harder than we like to believe.
On the other hand, it was a lot quieter, a lot less polluted, less congested and, maybe, a lot more appreciated.
At least that is my interpretation of history. ;)
Now is the time to dream - pick some colors, choose new flavors, play with ideas. What is possible? What is Probable? What would be Most Fun to Try? Gather your courage, take that first step.
On to a Brand New Shiny New Year!
