The path to creating a truly Happy New Year
Here we are another new year. At the start of 2017 we all gave our happy new year wishes to just about everyone we saw. Our celebrations and well wishes are so automatic, we repeat the words ‘Happy New Year’ without really thinking about the coming new year, or the past year.
Happy is a word that really describes a fleeting experience. It never stays as a permanent experience. A new year or a past year, is also a fleeting experience. But unlike happiness, the experiences in the old and new year have more of a permanent lasting impact than say, than our usual “Happy New Year.”
I don’t want to be a wet blanket on anyone’s Happy New Year, however, as we go into 2018, this is a good time for all of us to take a brief look at 2017, and see if a “Happy New Year” is something we can expect as individuals, and as a nation.
2017, what can we say? Well, as most of you know we got a non-traditional president. His brass, arrogant, off the top of his head thinking, and apparently “non-critical thinking process,” has rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. Including some of his political supporters. However, in all fairness to President Trump, at least you don’t have to figure out where he is coming from. He tells you (and the world) what’s on his mind. Typical slick talking political rhetoric is not his style. Honesty, even if it’s bad honesty, is somewhat of a virtue. Most politicians tell you what you want to hear. And then come in the back door with something else (I’m sure President Trump’s advisers are schooling him on this political style). Whatever your opinion, he is our officially elected president. We need to all participate in making our country better. Not just the president. It has been said, “It’s better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.” We all need to light a candle and pray more for our president in 2018, and criticize less. Now on to some other facts about 2017 and a “Happy New Year.”
There was a series of killings across the United States in 2017. While this is not necessarily new in any year, it has increased (check out the Justice Department reports on crime and killing in 2017). Happy New Year? Well, I think not. With the mass killings in Las Vegas and other U.S. cities, combined with the misuse of deadly force by police, international terrorism, increase of racial hate, 2018 does not look too good for a “Happy New Year.”
Let’s face it, based on 2017 (and before) our Happy New Year statements are not realistic. But we can have a better new year. Telling each other “Happy New Year” keeps us at least thinking of peace and kindness as we go into the new year. But if we really want a Happy New Year, we all will have to become change agents as citizens for the betterment of our schools, communities, cities, families, friends, and country. This will definitely help us all.
Yes, Happy New Year. But only with all of us making a Happy New Year commitment to make our society less violent, less racist, more peaceful, and more considerate of our neighbors. “Happy New Beginning.”
“Make a Happy New Year commitment to make our society less violent, less racist, more peaceful, and more considerate of our neighbors.” — Richard Dalton