The other day I was cleaning out a desk drawer in my office and found an envelope that said, “Kelly Resolutions 1999.” I opened it, hoping my 20th-century goals might have been a little more creative than “eat more vegetables and exercise more.” I was disappointed to find the same old hum-drum resolutions I’ve been making for almost 25 years now.
It’s hard to break a tradition, and maybe instead of sitting down on New Year’s Eve to think of what I want to accomplish for the next year and then stuffing it into a dark corner of my desk, I should think of what I want to try and do in the next month and post it on the refrigerator instead. Maybe 12 months of smaller resolutions would be more successful than one sheet of overreaching annual goals.
We’re still figuring out our plans for New Year’s Eve, but I think we might take in the Boot Drop down on Whiskey Row. It’s great that we have our own version of the Times Square Crystal Ball. I also appreciate that Prescott is a thoughtful host and realizes not everyone wants to stay up until midnight but still wants to celebrate, so they drop the sparkly boot at 10 p.m. as well.
If you search for New Year’s traditions around the world, you’ll find things that range from eating 12 grapes at midnight in Spain, throwing white flowers into the ocean in Brazil, smashing plates in Denmark, and wearing red underwear in Italy. I probably won’t be doing any of those, but we do have one tradition we enjoy. Mike and I like to send the old year packing with an outdoor bonfire or a roaring fireplace filled with old calendars and paperwork from the previous year. One year, a friend and I dropped our work calendars into the burn barrels on Whiskey Row and watched them smolder into ash. There’s something therapeutic in watching the old year burn away.
I’m old enough to remember sitting on the couch watching Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians play music on New Year’s Eve. Back then, staying up until midnight was a big deal. My sister and I often went to bed at our regular time, after unsuccessfully begging to stay up, with the promise that we’d be woken up around 11:30 to celebrate. My parents were true to their word and after a few minutes of complaining about being woken up, we would stumble out to the living room, bleary-eyed in our pajamas, while my folks set out the toppings for making banana splits. We’d shrug off the sleepiness and head into the kitchen to scoop up a big bowl of ice cream, top it with bananas and slather it all with chocolate, caramel, and maraschino cherries. We’d eat the whole thing while watching the glittering crystal ball sink slowly down the pole on top of a New York skyscraper, counting down the last 10 seconds along with the folks on the television, while the band played “Auld Lang Syne” and people cheered and kissed and yelled out “Happy New Year!”
I’m pretty sure if I ate a whole banana split before bed on New Year’s Eve at my age, I wouldn’t be able to sleep through the night without getting up for some heartburn medication. This year, I also suggested to a dear friend that we might want to attend the 10 p.m. Boot Drop this year instead of trying to stay up until midnight. She texted me back and said that she wasn’t sure she was ready to admit she was that old yet. It’s funny to think how life circles back around. Maybe I’ll need to nap before we head out to celebrate so I can stay up to midnight this year and pretend I’m not as old as I actually am.
Whatever way you choose to say goodbye to 2022 and hello to 2023, I hope the next year is filled with good health, great friends, family, and adventures. And if you are writing down resolutions, take it up a notch this year and skip the “eat less, exercise more” and think of something unique or challenging you’ll be proud to have tried or at least considered when this time rolls around next year. I have a few I’m thinking of right now that are outside of my comfort zone. There’s a new trampoline park opening soon that’s going to make my list. Maybe I’ll see you there!
Burning away the year in Minnesota – New Year’s Eve 2010