“Hey, kid, over here.”
“Oh hi, Pops! They said you’d be here. So, what’s the sitch?
They said you’d tell me what to expect. I just can’t wait!”
“Well, kid, I’m gonna tell you some stuff they don’t tell ya
in year school. Take a seat and for goodness sakes, stop bouncing.”
“Sorry Pops. I’m just so excited!”
“Here. Have a drink, kid. You’re in the big time now. We’ll
start ya off with champagne because, well, y’know, that’s kinda what we do at
this point.”
“Oh boy! Thanks, Twenty Sixteen.”
“You bet. Least I could do. Look, Two Thousand Seventeen, I’m
here to tell you it’s gonna be tough. You’ve got your work cut out for you. I
know you’ve learned all the things about seasons, months, nights and days,
holidays, all that stuff that makes a calendar reality, but there’s more than
just that. There’s a lot coming your way. I didn’t have any idea… not really.”
“Two Thousand Fifteen didn’t prepare you?”
“No, 2015 told me what I needed to know. But really, each
one of us has it totally different. Twenty Fifteen couldn’t have known. None of
us actually know.”
“Know what, Pops?”
“Well, Seventeen, it’s like this. The world never stops. Not
for us, not for them, all the living and non-living things that exist, changing
constantly, moving forward, everything forever in flux. You’ve got a lot coming
your way. My time, well, it’s been tough. Lots of unhappiness and death, loss
and fear. I can’t stop it, I can’t change it, that’s not my role. It won’t be
yours either. We stand witness. We find our stamp on every major event, etched
in history for as long as society holds memory.”
“But…”
“There’s no but to it, kiddo. Through no fault of my own, I’ve
been labeled a bad year. Held responsible for cruelty, greed, stupidity, anger
that grew in times not my own. There’s been hurt, people have lost their faith
in the world, they blame it on me. I could have grown bitter, but kid, there’s
more to it than that. It’s not my place to take everything on. We’re a
continuum, you see. I’m connected to you and Fifteen, sure, but it goes back
and forward, so much further. And here’s the thing…
You will get to see every single person on this planet turn
another year old. Stand witness to the birthday of every living thing. You will
turn this planet 365 times, and end up right here in the orbit, where we’re starting
today. You will see everything grow, you will see flowers blossom and babies
born and young creatures take their first steps. You will see love and
marriage. You will see death. So much death. You will see infirmity, disease,
murder, predation, attack. Stand witness to blood spilled upon the soil in
conquest and feasting and atrocity. And you will come to this point with
surprise, because it is so much, and 365 days isn’t enough. Kid, you’re just a
year. Don’t take the weight of the world on your shoulders.”
“Um, wow, Pops. Sounds like it’s been tough for you. Are you
sure you didn’t just have a hard run of it?”
“Oh I did. But Seventeen, you’re in for a hard run too. We’re
in hard times. I want to tell you, as I leave all this to you, that I’ve
learned something important and I want to share it with you. People, animals,
plants, the world, it will always change and grow. We just hold space and time.
We offer the space for everything and everyone to experience, and they will
take advantage, or not. You can’t blame yourself for that. And when times are
hard, that’s really when you’re at your best. Because these are the times,
those that you hold, that make or break the world we carry. This time you
offer, the time that is hard, is hated, but so valuable. You will give what you
can, and the world will change. You will form the future and those that take
part in it.
So, good luck. You’re gonna need it. It’s a hard job, but
someone’s gotta do it. You think you’re ready?”
“Uh, well, I thought I was, but now I’m not so sure.”
“Good. None of us are ever ready. We never really know what’s
coming. Drink up. You’re gonna need it.”
“Okay. Great. And, Sixteen?”
“Yeah, Seventeen?”
“Thanks. I’ll see you on the other side.”
“Yeah, punk, I’ll expect a drink. Take care. And…”
“Yeah?”
“Happy New Year.”
