New Years - Sentiments and Social Constructs

Hej (Hi in Danish),

Here is wishing everyone a lovely and wonderful year ahead, and hope the earth will be a safer place for the whole of humanity in 2006. While going through the process of swtiching form one year to other, the only significant differences that apply to the majority of us are:

1. We plan to and try to enjoy the new years eve. There seems to be charm in counting down and a vague excitement in sharing a common thing with a whole lot of other people (known and unknown). A social construct.
2. We look forward to spending the year and getting closer to someone special. - A sentiment
3. Make some resolutions or think about making some - this I cannot categorise as a sentiment or a social constuct. Its a passing thought for me :)
4. Getting to change the last digit if you are used to writing the dates on paper - capturing change for posterity.

Anyways, there might be a few other things, but the point I wanted to make is that most of these things are either sentiments or social constructs. For that matter, new years celebration itself is a social construct. No doubt, a valuable social constuct, that lets life become a little special for some part of the ephemeral time that we endure. Often times, one starts to wonder if there is any real excitement or meaning in celebrating the coming for a new year, without even knowing whats in store. But I think it is just an eventful manifestation of that one beautiful sentiment than individuals cherish, HOPE. We hope for a good year, thinking of it in terms of the events and achievements that we want it to be marked with, for us and for the world. For the community of us human beings across the planet, we hope that the new year will provide a glimmer of miracles and prosperity rather than strife and disaster.

I just want to revel in the momentousness of the occasion, for its own sake, for what mankind has come to make of it, and for the sentiments it raises in me, mostly for the future and some for the past. I can recall some beautiful new year eves, and can only hope that there will be more in the future.

Here is wishing everyone a lovely year ahead, wishing an abundance of joy and achievement in all aspects of life, individual and social.

Cheerio!
Satish