Reflections of a Passing Year

This year is rapidly drawing to a close, and soon its events will be but a memory to reflect upon at some future time. It seems like only a month ago we were waving goodbye to 2013 and savoring one last slice of cake or pie while counting down the minutes of freedom left before starting that new weight-loss plan we had resolved to follow in order to drop some pounds.Yet here we are again, a mere few days from bidding adieu to the year 2014. Some will brave the cold temperatures in Times Square, standing (or in some cases staggering) beside huddled masses singing bittersweet choruses of "Auld Lang Syne,” counting down the last remaining seconds of the year as a huge brightly lit ball descends to the ground, signifying the end of the old and the birth of the new. Some will attend parties or small gatherings with friends, sipping bubbly, playing games, reminiscing about old times, perhaps remembering absent friends or family members they've lost. Some will have made resolutions for the new year; to lose weight, to eat healthier, to stop smoking, to be happier, to be better spouses or better children.I have never had much success with keeping the resolutions I made, at least for more than a few weeks. Oscar Wilde once said, "Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account." I think there is much truth in that statement.Some will recall this past year as one of the best years of their lives, while others who have endured hard times or tragedies will be only too happy to put this year behind them in the hope that sunnier days lie ahead in 2015. As I stop to reflect on the closing year, I suppose I would have to say truthfully that I belong in both categories, to some degree. I have suffered a few setbacks and hardships in my own life this year, most of them somewhat serious, but none of them earth-shattering. Conversely, it has also been a rather exhilarating year for me as well; I have produced and edited a music video, welcomed a new granddaughter into this world, been fortunate to play various zombies and also had a speaking role as a TV news anchor in a locally produced horror film which was documented weekly on a national TV show, met many new friends as a result of the movie and the TV series, one of which has now officially joined with me in a partnership to produce local films and videos, was offered and accepted a job with a local magazine which I love dearly, and most recently I was privileged to sing with the Dickens Carolers, and later even played Kris Kringle himself for an event at the Bankhead House in Jasper. And I trust this is only the beginning.I've heard myself say more than once to various friends of mine that this has not been a good year for me. In some ways it has not. There are circumstances that not only do I hope do not repeat themselves in the new year, I also hope I have learned valuable life lessons from them. A wise man once said that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. I feel very confident that I will not forget these bumps in the road, and that is why I believe (or hope, anyway) that I will be more adept at preventing and avoiding them in the future.There are many things I could wish for, were I to stumble upon some ancient dusty magic lamp and rub it, releasing a genie, who would then rub the sleep out of his eyes, stretch and yawn, straighten his turban, and tell me in Robin Williams' unmistakable voice that I was granted three wishes. But if I had one wish, it would be this: that I would be here one year from today, awaiting the next new year.Happy New Year to all our readers, from everyone here at 78 Magazine. 78