Be a Realist

 Okay, so it's New Year's Eve morning.  Can you sense my enthusiasm?  The skies are overcast and will remain so for most of the day.  The temps will climb into the mid 40s (F).

I have friends who will stay up until midnight in order to watch the "ball" drop in New York City.  Not me.  I came to the realization a long time ago that there's a lot of hype in celebrating the end of one year and the beginning of another.  Some like to think the New Year means their slate is wiped clean, that there's a new beginning.  Well, I hate to disappoint them, but that's not true.  They're going to wake up on January 1st with the same bills, the same work issues, and the same old, same old all around.  If you want to celebrate, then celebrate, but do it because you survived the last year... there millions who didn't.

My mom used to say I was cynical because I wasn't religious.  My response was always, "I'm not cynical, I'm a realist."  My advice to people?  Become more realistic.  If you want to be optimistic, be optimistic about the things you can change, not the things you expect will change simply because you want them to change.

And if you wake up with a hangover tomorrow morning, remember it was your choice to drink too much this evening.  In case you haven't realized it yet, there is a price to pay for everything, but sometimes the rewards are simply wonderful.

Realistically speaking, I'm thinking this is the year Trump goes to jail, and the Republican party get's crushed.  If that happens, then next year I'll tip a glass.