thoughts on another new year

The calendar has flipped its pages, and once again I am fooled into thinking this is a terribly significant event.

New Year's Day does make you ask some basic questions such as, why am I here, where did I come from, and where am I going, but these are questions we ought to ask every morning when we roll out of bed, or at least every Sunday when a fresh new week begins.

New Year's Day does give you some incentive to get started on long overdue projects like ridding the garage and closets of junk, trash, and unused neckties, but Saturday mornings are just as good a time as any to do that.

New Year's Day also give you another incentive to begin to think about getting ready to commence preparing for income tax day, but hey, not this week. Let's get the Christmas bills under control first.

I like New Year's Day. The shortest day of the year is behind us and the days are getting longer, again. It marks the middle of a relatively slack time where I work, and makes me want to do a little organizing of the debris that piles up during the year. This is why stores sell those huge boxes with lids for packing and storing stuff. What I really want is an industrial grade paper shredder than can handle a shovel full of paper at a time.

Our friends and relatives know not to expect a Christmas card from us before Christmas. We've sometimes mailed them before New Year's Day, but not this year. If we get them out before Valentine's Day, that's not too late. Christmas is something to celebrate all year long, anyway, right? Mailing Christmas cards is another way we celebrate the beginning of a new year. Maybe we'll get them out early next time. Or maybe not.