My opinion is respected far and near, so much so that along with $3.50 it can get you a cup of black coffee at almost any coffee shop in Kansas City. So said, I think of New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day as two, separate holidays. Imagine a big airport with a long runway. A jumbo jet at the end of the runway, full of passengers and their baggage has been waiting for clearance to take off. Out in the holding pattern a small Commuter jet with only the pilot onboard is waiting for permission to land. They both get the OK, begin their checklist and focus on opposite ends of the same runway. The outbound pilot sees his way clear but Jumbo is heavy and takeoff will take the full length of the runway. The Commuter jet has been closing in on the very spot where the Jumbo starts to throttle forward.
Near the far end of the runway the Jumbo is ready to rotate nose up and rise up. Over a mile behind at the near end of the runway the Commuter has flared, settling down to touchdown. Imagine: for one or two seconds, in the same moment the tires of both planes are touching opposite ends of the same runway. One lifts off as the other throttles back into its rollout. The obvious point is the close proximity in Place & Time but also the absolute divergence in their stories. One is at its conclusion, the end of its story while the other takes possession, turns the page and shifts from reflection to anticipation. It is seamless and we embrace the anxious question mark with open arms.
Interpreting the metaphor is easy. Today, December 31 is the Jumbo jet with a weighty backstory that touches every sensibility. But its time has expired, not even an epilogue. For a split second the two calendar years interface. At the stroke of midnight we start counting again, turning over new pages and beseeching the powers that be for good if not better days. I have an open house to go to this evening. Good food and good company will be abundant. Sooner or later people will find their coats and head for the door; going to another party or maybe bedtime. In any case, get up early or sleep late, the wakeup will find us already invested in the new year. So there are two days that lean on each other so profoundly that neither can prevail without the other. Reflecting on 2024 I can say there were some days I slept later and slow to rise but always, every day from 1 to 366 (LeapYear) every wakeup I was grateful and happy when my feet hit the floor.
Two different holidays, the first is a grateful farewell and resolute acceptance while a few hours later the waking up marks a new beginning; continue the same old story but it’s a new day, a new year and think of it as an opportunity. New Year’s Day, I think it will be a good year if I look for the best in the people I meet. That should be good for a cup of coffee anywhere.
Near the far end of the runway the Jumbo is ready to rotate nose up and rise up. Over a mile behind at the near end of the runway the Commuter has flared, settling down to touchdown. Imagine: for one or two seconds, in the same moment the tires of both planes are touching opposite ends of the same runway. One lifts off as the other throttles back into its rollout. The obvious point is the close proximity in Place & Time but also the absolute divergence in their stories. One is at its conclusion, the end of its story while the other takes possession, turns the page and shifts from reflection to anticipation. It is seamless and we embrace the anxious question mark with open arms.
Interpreting the metaphor is easy. Today, December 31 is the Jumbo jet with a weighty backstory that touches every sensibility. But its time has expired, not even an epilogue. For a split second the two calendar years interface. At the stroke of midnight we start counting again, turning over new pages and beseeching the powers that be for good if not better days. I have an open house to go to this evening. Good food and good company will be abundant. Sooner or later people will find their coats and head for the door; going to another party or maybe bedtime. In any case, get up early or sleep late, the wakeup will find us already invested in the new year. So there are two days that lean on each other so profoundly that neither can prevail without the other. Reflecting on 2024 I can say there were some days I slept later and slow to rise but always, every day from 1 to 366 (LeapYear) every wakeup I was grateful and happy when my feet hit the floor.
Two different holidays, the first is a grateful farewell and resolute acceptance while a few hours later the waking up marks a new beginning; continue the same old story but it’s a new day, a new year and think of it as an opportunity. New Year’s Day, I think it will be a good year if I look for the best in the people I meet. That should be good for a cup of coffee anywhere.
No comments:
Post a Comment