Whether you follow politics, the Hollywood movie schedule, or college football, ‘they’ say that 2025 is going to be a record setting year for all of these. January 1, New Year’s Day 2025. What will you do today? Keep in mind that if ‘they’ are correct this is going to be one of those, ‘Where you when…’ days. You know, the Kennedy, Martin Luther king, 9/11 sort of days. Who are we kidding, if ‘they’ are correct, the whole year will have several of those kinds of days.
For starters, there will be enough football games on during the day between local television stations and streaming channels to keep you occupied during the New Year’s dinner, snacks, and naps to put anyone into a pigskin comatose state.
Then we have the less violent (hopefully) and stressful programming. Beginning with the 5 ½ mile long, 136th running of the Rose Parade making its way through downtown Pasadena, Ca, and into your living room at 8 am. Formally called, The Pasadena Tournament of Roses, the show is the west coast version of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The first Rose Parade, believe it or not, in 1889 had 3,000 in person attendees. If you are watching you will see 83 floats, marching bands, equestrian patrols and other grandiose presentations during the historic parade. From 3,000 in 1889 to over 40 million television watchers, and 1 million in person spectators the parade promises to be one of 2025’s most spectacular events.
Then, back to the main events, at 1 pm this afternoon, the Oregon Ducks and the Ohio State Buckeyes will face each other in one of the most coveted college bowl playoff games of the season. The Rose Bowl has been the make-or-break game of many a team since Michigan’s Wolverines beat Stanford University 49-0 in 1902. Michigan finished their season, 11-0 to be the champions of 1902. There are 3 other Bowl games being played today, and there are no Professional NFL games scheduled until Jan. 11. Still, that will be enough gridiron madness to go around for one day.
Now, for the elephant in the room. If you were either foolish or brave enough to make a resolution you know they are supposed to begin today. Unless, in your resolutions proclamation you stipulated a certain designated day other than today. Maybe you saw the logic in postponing the start date until after all of the food snacking, and drinking was over. That would be sort of prudent of you, don’t you think?
Before we begin with the parade, think back to last night. Do you remember the count down, or the ball dropping, or people singing Auld Lang Syne? Good for you if you do, that means you were not drunk, at least not too drunk. If you don’t remember any of that, you were either not at a party, or drunk enough to barf into a trash can and stumble back for another. Ringing in the new year is one of those things where the meaning has not been lost to a politically correct revision of the truth.
The expectation of a new or renewal of another 365 days is a beginning of exploration and hope. It is a feeling of letting go of the past and a sense of a whole new ball game ahead of us. The year at our feet does not have to be a repeat or an extension of the year we are leaving behind. It can be likened to the back nine of a golf game. When we reach the 10th tee, no matter the results of the front nine, the back nine is a whole new beginning! We raise our glasses not only to say good bye to an old year with its flaws and regrets, but to welcome a new year with its optimism and do overs. Cheers to 2024, and embraces and enthusiasm to 2025!
Raise a glass of whatever you are drinking, give a cheer, and welcome 2025, a truly ‘New Year!’
It’s Here! 2025!
