New Year's Day

I hate New Year's - it makes me think about time and all of the things associated with the passing of time.Out of fear and frustration, most people act like idiots on this holiday -- screaming, drinking too much and slobbering over everybody like this is such an event. New Year's just seems to remind me of how little I've done in a year and how quickly time begins to pass by as you get older.It also marks the end of the holiday season and I get depressed about things getting back to normal. I love Christmas and traditions that I keep during this time of year.I know I should think of this time as a fresh start, but it just doesn't feel like that. So much baggage carries over from the previous year, no matter how hard you work.Rossini and I have just been sitting in the living room listening to music and watching the colored Christmas lights, ornaments and candles that will soon get packed up for another year. He's oblivious to what I'm thinking and feeling and every now and then I envy him.It's hard not to wonder what 2003 will be like and will I make it through unscathed? What will I be doing in the early morning of January 1st, 2004? I can only hope for health, happiness and the continued support of family and friends. So much of life is out of our control - one has to learn to submit to the human condition -- to enjoy the good and endure the bad, remembering that neither one lasts long enough to completely overshadow the other.