Resolutions and New Beginnings

This was too easy. But I feel it's important to acknowledge the ending of one calendar and the beginning of another. So with a heavy heart, an overload of celebration and a wee bit of trepidation mixed in with the glamor of the temporal unknown, I would like to reflect on the month of December as everyone prepares for the midnight festivities, when we can finally end this month that dragged on and flew by. Bring on January!

Politically speaking, the country was ferociously divided at the very beginning of the month but after 31 long days...we are still ferociously divided--and criminally under-use the word "ferocious." But we are all unified by the strike of a clock...unless you consider different time zones ("Central Time shout out!"). I think it is safe to say politicians will continue to say crazy stuff, and be crazier for not saying other stuff, over the next month.

Regardless of political sides and insane displays of morality, people can still find common ground around all the balls dropping in America tonight. All the non-controversy surrounding January's Eve is really what America, nay the world, needed. There is no "war on January" (except for the wars during January), there are no disadvantage people left out of the process (unless the work or don't have watches) and this holiday doesn't require apologies to pagans whose own celebrations were deliberately trampled on by Romans/Puritans/capitalists. No. January's Eve is pure.

I wish we celebrated this much of the turning of every month. After all, new work is required with every new month. I have to flip up my monthly calender. Also, it usually takes me 2 or 3 weeks to stop writing the numerals for the previous month on all my assignments, applications and legal documents.

Now I would like to propose a strange--and therefore efficient--amendment to the month-ending celebrations. I would like our countdown to continue for an extra thirty minutes (hear me out!). If we make every month thirty minutes longer, every four years we can eliminate a single day from the calendar. We can 'leap' over this day, if you will. I suggest the day we eliminate is April 23--as that is my brother's birthday and I'm tired of buying him birthday presents every year.

But while reflecting on the previous month is fun, I am glad to be entering a new month. January. It almost sounds futuristic. I think BLADE RUNNER took place in January. Maybe not. As a side note, I'd like to wish a Happy January 1st birthday to J.D. Salinger, Sen. Bob Menendez, and Frank Langella.

And Happy New Month to everyone out there!

p.s. Hey, I just noticed today is not only the last day of the year but also of the whole decade--that's pretty cool too, huh?