New Year's Day

There was a time when you wake up on New Year’s Day, look out of the window and sigh; “I wonder what’s in store for me this coming year and the years to come.” Always hoping the things will be better that the past.

And then you get on in age and the future does not seem so important.

You have live a reasonable good life. You feel that you have sort of reach “there”, in the sense that what you wanted for you family and yourself have been achieved, though as always it could have been better and more.

What then goes through your mind on New Year’s Day now?

Its memories, my friend. Sweet ones and Bitter ones, too.

Those were the days my friend
We thought they'd never end
We'd sing and dance forever and a day
We'd live the life we choose
We'd fight and never lose
For we were young and sure to have our way.
La la la la...
Those were the days, oh yes those were the days

(Mary Hopkins - Those Were The Days, My Friend)

Fast forward, older now and you thought of those –

Misty water-colored memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures,
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were

(Barbra Streisand’s The Way We Were)

The bitter ones, well –

What's too painful to remember
We simply choose to forget
So it's the laughter
We will remember
Whenever we remember...

Or if that doesn’t work, then remember –

Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass,
of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind;

(William Wordsworth’s Splendour In the Grass

And you know, these memories are what keep this aged blogger going, providing the perspectives for him to understand things better in the world today.

A Happy and prosperous New Year to all.