Two-thousand seventeen

A year like no other, just like all the rest

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

THAT’S near the beginning of Ecclesiastes, or The Preacher. It’s a reminder to us all, on this last day of mankind’s year, or at least the Western version on the official calendars. We have a hard time imagining that The Unnameable (who we give so many names) follows things like calendars, or the seasons, or the eons. But mankind has to have certain markers. The numbers of the years help.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be. Yes, this country will be at war next year, too. And bad things will happen to good people. But the things that hath been aren’t all bad. Folks, we had so much good these past 12 months. And that thing that hath been shall be in the next 12, too.

Babies were born in

2017. Little girls and little boys will mark this fast-passing year with pride. (“I was born in 2017, and I’m 9 years old!”) Weddings went off, with and without hitches. Brides blushed and grooms stood by nervously. And separate families came together and were made one. They will look back at 2017 and mark anniversaries. If there are still newspapers around in 2067, surely there will still be anniversary notices. (“Matthew Johnson and Mary Johnson, nee Williams, who were wed in 2017, celebrated 50 years of marriage this month.”)

This year, new homes were moved into. For many reasons, people opened gifts. Promotions were given and accepted and celebrated. People graduated from high school and college. They are the Class of 2017, and they are Legion. They will become doctors and nurses, clergy and teachers, skilled workers and hired hands, mothers and fathers, citizens of a great nation. And yes, suffering ended for many in 2017. In different ways. All that will happen again this year.

People retired in 2017, and took vacations that they’ll talk about for years. There was happy laughter around the kitchen, and people fell in love. Others were saved. In their persons by firefighters or police. Or, even better, in their religion. And they will mark 2017 as the best of times.

There will be good news in the new year, just as 2017 saw its share:

In the last year, we’ve figured out how to recycle parts for space travel. Millions were cured of the ISIS disease and affliction. Saudi Arabia took (small) steps toward gender equality. China is shutting down its ivory trade. The manatee was removed from the endangered list. Another Star Wars came out.

The American economy surged in 2017. And the American economy leads all others.

Bounds and leaps were taken in the effort to improve battery storage, and thus make renewable energy more efficient. The numbers of organ transplants increase every year, and last year was no different. Speaking of which, a man in Australia became the first person to have a bone transplanted into his leg—a bone made in a 3-D printer. Yes, they can Xerox a body part for you now.

They say journalism is the rough first draft of history. If so, a body doesn’t need rose-colored glasses to know a lot of good happened on the watch of Mr. 2017, who grows older by the second. In fact, the year will pass away tonight, as scheduled by our calendars. But 2017, that auld acquaintance, he won’t be forgot and never brought to mind. On the contrary, it’ll be brought to mind on many an anniversary and birthday in the years to come.

IT’S ALMOST a requirement these days: predictions. Vanity of vanities. So here are our predictions for the coming year, and we make these with the full confidence that vanity provides:

More babies will be born. More weddings will go off, with and without hitches. People will graduate from school. And, even better, be educated. Not only that, but we’ll bet that something will happen in tech this year that will make Xeroxing a body part sound perfectly ancient. How 2017.

Now, for the final words of this editorial, we take the final words of that book, Ecclesiastes, which is one book in The Book. And its author, a son of David, signs off better than we ever could. The Preacher/Writer would have made a great editorialist:

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. Happy new year.

—eds