It Was the Worst of Times; It Was the Best of Times

When I was in 4th grade, and an innocent, some girl with fat sausage curls declared at the lunch table that her mother said the world was going to end in the year 2000. This was before the hype about Y2K and I was already worrying. I did the math and realized I would only 16. My life would only be half lived. I wouldn't get to do anything I wanted because the world was ending. And from that day on I hated New Year's because with every one we were inching forward to the End of the World. Of course when I got older I realized what a ridiculous mother that girl had, what idiot thinks there will be a specific date when everything poofs out, as though the world just couldn't handle coming to an arbitrary date like 2000 and imploded. What a megalomanic idea. What if we were following the Islamic calendar, or the Hebrew one? We'd be goners years ago.
Anyway, I've gotten over my fear of the world ending, but I still don't like New Year's all that much. It seems so sad to see the years pass, and who wants to celebrate it going out with a big drunken party? It doesn't seem like a great way to start a new year. I think the new year should slip out on the dawn, silently, and shining. But, since I can't have my way I've gotten used to it, and I'm even going up to New York this year, not to Times Square, however. That would be a nightmare I don't want. And I've adjusted to the idea that the old year is passing, and change is a good thing. We'll have a new president by the end of next year, and I'll be 25, even more grown up! I'll start grad school, maybe in a new country. Who knows what exciting things could happen.
2007 was an important year for me as well. It's funny how it's gone so full circle. Last year, on January 1, I was making my way up to New York to start a new phase of my life. With my big bags and my new coat I said goodbye to my close friends and sister and got on that bus. Now, at the end of the year I am back here, and going to be getting on a bus on January 1 to come back home. I like that circle.
This year I also started my first real job, realized I wanted to go to graduate school and teach, interned for Robert DeNiro's production company, worked in TV and made some great friends. I started relationships and ended them, became closer with some of my friends and watched as others moved away. I'm so grateful to have my friends around. They make life so much more fun. I can't imagine this time in my life without them. I'm excited to see what will come because of how much I have enjoyed what has passed. I feel as though things can only get better, even the hard things will be exciting because they are all part of this new passage in my life.