2024
by John Mooy
By the time you read this 2023 will be in the history books. It’s now time to look to a new year and whatever that might bring. I recall from my younger years when my folks would gather with their community friends, get dressed up and go to one of their friends’ homes to welcome in the new year. In that group were the Joneses, Terrills, Adams, Mooys and perhaps one more couple who escape me at the moment. Their gathering was an end of year tradition that went on for, well, years.
During their evening, they would enjoy a fine meal, delicious dessert, and an evening of conversation. It would now be enjoyable to go back and sit in on an evening of conversation with these folks to see exactly what the topics were of their evening’s conversation. Might be even more interesting if they could comment on what’s happening in the world today.
Always a tradition on New Year’s Eve is the making of resolutions for the new year. Why is it that we do this? The short answer is that as we enter a new year, in front of us is a clean slate. We haven’t done anything in the new year………………yet. So, by setting some goals and then following through on them we may believe we have some sense of what’s happening in our lives. That makes sense and is certainly admirable.
Not surprisingly the most common resolutions for any new year usually include exercising more, eating healthy and losing weight. I wonder how many years ago the idea of quitting smoking appeared on the list?
And of course, in the moments after the new year made its appearance the adults would lift their glasses to toast whatever good might happen in the next 365 days.
Through my youth it was always Dick Clark on television from Times Square in New York who would welcome in the New Year. No matter where we were gathered around Marcellus, we would count down the final ten seconds of the old year and then use our noisemakers in celebration of ringing out the old and bringing in the new,
For this upcoming year I’ve asked several people what they were hoping for. Not necessarily a resolution for them but instead a hope for the bigger picture: the world stage. While these tasks are monumental, and some would say unrealistic, I got the sense that the individuals I was talking to simply wanted to voice these thoughts and then say them.
More than ever, each of these folks commented a desire to see a peace brought to the world. While in the past this idea was often said in a bit of a humorous tone, but no more. We have all witnessed too much cruelty, mistreatment and man’s inhumanity toward each other.
One friend told me he hoped we might witness more decency, friendship and just getting along.
As I was thinking about what I was hearing I recognized that all these hopes start with the individual.
So, I think my resolution for 2024 is going to be to spend some time reflecting on all the positive lessons I’ve learned from the good people of Marcellus and see if I can’t apply those qualities to my own life. Be a better version of myself. Start small and not be daunted by enormity of the world problems. The pyramids were built one block at a time and not in a day, but over a period of years. Perhaps in 2024 we can start rebuilding.
Have a great week, Marcellus.
You’re the best.
Better yet, have a great year.
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