by matt werbach
Amid the snow and ice and endlessly threatening conditions of this late December, a new year rolled in. I love the idea of a new start or a fresh beginning as much as most, maybe even more than most. I find comfort and hope in the deeper meaning of New Year’s Day. There is a reason this holiday exists, and I believe it penetrates much further into the human spirit than we realize.
As a kid, I remember thinking about how cool it would be to stop time, or to go back and fix the mistakes of days past. As an adult I find that notion more suitable for prime-time television shows and dreaming children, but I do find the idea of a fresh start at the turn of a new year invigorating. It’s the adult version of that dream I’m sure so many kids have had and still have.
We know we can’t go back. We’re all too smart—and perhaps a bit too jaded—because of our experiences. But every year one of the grandest celebrations is New Year’s Eve—our chance to look forward, our chance to change.
We’re all bonded by a common community, but our lives and our experiences, especially from one year to the next, vary drastically. Some people will find themselves more excited to say goodbye to the last year than to embrace the coming one. When I’m at a New Year’s Eve party I find myself taken in by all the smiles and excitement. I hear people pass their resolutions around, inviting whatever criticism might come their way. I hear people exclaim their joy for the end of the year past. I personally find more optimism than negativity in the moment. My spirit is lifted by the idea that millions of people are looking forward to the New Year. No matter what hardship they may have faced they find themselves counting down with elation for the next opportunity. It’s this feeling, and being a part of moments like these, that helps me to find a deeper meaning for New Year’s Day. It’s not just a party the night before; it’s not just football and food all day. It’s a festival of new chance, or of sheer gratitude for the passing of the last year. It’s a celebration of true human optimism in the face of a life that is too often endured rather then embraced.
I’m not one for resolutions, and I won’t make one now. They just don’t work for me, but I’ve seen them do great things in people’s lives. There is something magic about the way someone who has struggled with an issue for years can gain the motivation and courage to overcome that challenge by looking to the New Year. I wonder what our community resolution would be for 2010? What would the Columbia Gorge accomplish or fix if the whole community were to make one large resolution. It’s a kind community, but I’m sure we could always be kinder. We live, work or play in one of the most beautiful places on earth, but isn’t there something more—maybe several things—we could do to make the area even more incredible?
This year, instead of a resolution, I think I’ll ask what I can do to resolve some of the things in my own community that could be better or need to be fixed. Almost anyone could gain from a tighter connection to their surrounding community and environment.
I can do things that would better just myself. I have 20 pounds to lose. I have several opportunities or goals that remain unattended to, but I don’t think that does enough on its own—not this year. This could be the year we all look back on decades from now and think, “We actually did that. We somehow accomplished what seemed to be impossible.” Find your challenge. Help your friends and family find theirs too. Have a memorable and ambitious 2010.
One Response to “A Year for Ambition”
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Dena Jo says:
Thanks Matt-this has helped me get my attitude back on track. This used to be my least favorite holiday, but this year it was different, and I think you really nailed it with the moment of optimism. It is the moment when it seems everyone forgets the bad and just sees the opportunity ahead.
