New Year's Eve (Secular Edition)

It's not the New Year yet, not here, but it is in part of the world. Unlike the year 2000, I'm neither monitoring the news for impending disasters or getting useless updates from my boss about it. That, alone, is making this a less hectic time.

I was surprised, as I often am about things relating to time, to figure out that 2000 arrived seven years ago. I was somewhat less surprised to realize that it's nearly eight years ago. That, to me, should be a much longer time than it feels.

Yes, I have my theory that explains this, about how one year is a fifth of your life when you're only five years old and one-twentieth when you leave your teens, but I've rarely been satisfied with my own explanation. Still, there's no denying that the years go by faster and faster as I age.

I don't remember my resolutions for 2007, but I'm sure they're in the archives here somewhere. Without being hampered by the specifics, I can safely and proudly announce that I think I did pretty well on all of them, assuming I made more than one.

One thing I'm certain I didn't predict is that I'd become rich and famous, so that one's in the bag for sure.

I did lose a friend or two this past year, something I can ill afford, and that hurts, but I can't blame that on anyone except the guy who's typing this now. I added a few acquaintances, however, so there's still hope for the future. I'm in no position to be shuffling off anyone.

There were no immediate deaths to report, which is always good news, but there was a birth. I'm too lazy to post a picture, but he looks a lot like a baby boy, eerily so.

Other people, other cultures, have differing days for the New Year, but I've always followed the random one that necessitates me buying or receiving a calendar right after Christmas. This year the market that's giving me one the past few years has either decided I'm no longer a worthwhile customer or ran out before I showed up, so I may have to make my own.

It's a good thing I'm good with graph paper.

If you read this, I wish you the best. I hope you have an even better life than I do.