Sunday Sesh: Ringing in the New Year
It is 2017. You are probably hung over, desperately searching for some greasy Mexican food and/or a little hair o’ the dog to take off the edge. What song are you using to ring in the new year?
Are you the kind who likes to celebrate the new year as a season of new birth, one ripe with both possibilities and excitement? If so, you may be opting for more jovial, melodic tunes resplendent with energetic vocals and major keys. You survived another year! For many, that alone is reason enough to party, so shake off the shackles of yesteryear and look forward to January 1st with the sun in your face and the wind at your back! To you, we raise our glasses. 2017 is going to be one big party, so why not start things out right with Mr. Andrew W.K.?
For others, the new year is a reminder of loss and grief, just another day in the endless cascading sands in the glass, no more significant than any other grain in the drift. Perhaps you spent your NYE alone in the dark, nursing a tall glass of gin and thinking about what might have been and the faces who should be there in the empty spaces. Perhaps there was too much lost in the margins of the previous year to find any reason to celebrate. I personally know many members of our community are facing loss and heartache today, so to them we raise our glasses in solidarity. Today, as ever, we are here for you, a fellow traveler in the dark.
Last year, I encouraged each of us to spend more time in careful reflection. How did that go for you? I may have failed to spend as much time doing yoga and contemplating my deeds as I would have liked, but the beauty of self-reflection is that there is always room for improvement. If you typically find yourself examining both past and future every new year and seeking to better the self through more gratitude and selflessness, may I suggest more meditative Black Yo)))ga as your soundtrack?
However you choose to ring in 2017, whether in revelry, sorrow, or quiet contemplation, know that you are welcome here. Share your burdens, joys, and aspirations in the comments below.
