No One Else Is Having More Fun:-)

So, today is New Year's Eve.  It is 3:34 post meridian to be exact.  This marks my 46th new year's eve, which if you are good at math, you can figure out how old I am as well.  And here's what I have experienced in at least 40 of those years of New Year's celebrations (grant you my 6 year old New Year's celebration involved popcorn and an early showing of Mr. Rogers neighborhood):

No One Else is Having More Fun:-)

For 46 years I have sought out the most fun thing I could think of doing on New Years Eve.  I have sought out the most fun celebrations when I was single in my twenties.  I have searched out the most happening locales, which I did when I was married without kids.  I have undertaken the most entertaining restaurants, house parties, church activities, venues, places, spaces and more.  To this end I have celebrated Hogmanay (the Scottish version of New Years) in Glasgow, Scotland.  I have watched fire works shot into the sky over the Nile River in Cairo, Egypt.  I have visited happening night clubs in Copenhagen, Denmark, and in Minnesota (actually went to Prince's famous Purple Rain bar).  I have eaten at some of the nicest restaurants (The CIA "Culinary Institute of America" - Greystone, in Napa being my favorite).  I went to fun house parties in San Francisco on the boundary of the Castro and Noe Valley where my sister used to live.

And here's what I have found.  No matter where I was at the time, I always thought someone else was having more fun.  I would invariably be sitting in a room of people, say in San Francisco, who, when the ball dropped on New York's Time Square, were watching the television screen.  And everyone watched with a pining inner angst as they watched other people having more fun than them.  And then, everyone would look around the room at each other, and the glance in their eyes said, "I wish I was there in that place, rather than here in this place."  But guess what?

No One Else is Having More Fun:-)

New Year's Eve is one of the most aspirational holidays that, to be honest, never seems to meet its own aspirations.  I have spoken with people who were standing but a few feet away from the ball dropping in Time's Square in New York, and within eyeshot of the equivalent of Anderson Cooper and Kathy Lee, and they were totally miserable.  The temperature was like 25 degrees with wind chill, and all of them standing there were wondering if someone else around the world was having more fun.  Actually, I have heard that in New York, they show pictures of places like Dubai and Sydney and London, and everyone wonders of they are having more fun in those places.  But, you get the picture:

No One Else is Having More Fun:-)

So, wherever you are tonight, and however you are celebrating.  Whether you are in Salem, Oregon, or Boise, Idaho, or Decker, Michigan.  Whether you are sitting around with kids or grandkids.  Whether you are in a nursing home in Pasadena, California.  Whether you have money, or no means at all.  Whether you have someone to kiss when that yard arm reaches it's median point, and crosses over into the new year.  Realize this:

No One Else is Having More Fun:-)

So, make the most of where you are!

All For Now,

GB