A few observations:

• Every year for the past few years I keep hearing most everyone I know express eagerness for the prior/current year to be over, and the next year to begin. The belief/hope seems to be: New Year = Better Year.
• Every year for the past few years, the current year is rated worse than the last (again, by those around me).
• A solar year is measured by the earth’s orbit around the sun. That clock could start anytime. Today is Day One of one solar year. Tomorrow is Day One of a different year. Yesterday was also Day One; welcome to Day Two!
• Right now, you are on a different numbered day within 365 solar years.

My point is, the calendar and how you perceive your life or the condition of the world have no correlation.

…except for when they do.

You might have goals, big dreams, or a major vacation planned for this year, or maybe this is the year you turn old enough to _____ (drive, drink, vote, enlist, retire). To you, 2023 is right on track. Keep XXX-ing those days!

But to everyone else — other than major upcoming events, what stops you from saying, “My year starts NOW”?

Better yet — from saying, “This is what the year is going to mean to me.” Don’t let the flipping pages of a calendar and the news cycle tell you it’s a good year or a bad year.

Tell yourself first. Then make it happen.

As for myself, I’ve been thinking of time in three ways: past, present and future. I also realized I primarily perceive those things as regret over the past, fear of the present and worry for the future.

Don’t be alarmed — I keep things interesting by mixing in a little bitterness, confusion and stress. Variety!

So — in order to tell myself, and then make it happen, I’ve decided to focus on Release (the past), Embrace (the present) and Anticipate (the future). And that means — drumroll please!! — that is this year’s theme for Campfire Tales: Release, Embrace (or maybe Enjoy? Please comment.), Anticipate.

In related news, these quotes recently jumped out at me:

To live in chaos was to live in prison. Order freed the mind for other things.

It was mesmerizing and comforting, in the way the third martini was comforting. It felt good, but only because it numbed.

It was easy enough to be decent when all was going your way. It was another matter to be decent when all hell was breaking loose.

~ from A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny

First of all, Louise — the THIRD martini numbs? Time to check your tolerance levels.

Second, thank you for proof that even excellent writers use “it” and “was” too much. Please use “just” more — I need to feel better about my overuse of that word.

Third, your quotes apply directly to my past/present/future.

Fourth, finally, and most importantly, if your murder mystery can be loaded with original proverbs and acquired wisdom, why can’t my blog?

They say, even stopped clocks are right twice a day. Surely my made-up advice has to be right sometimes, right?!

(By the way, A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny is excellent!)