It’s the end of another year, 2021, a terribly disturbing year indeed. And in spite of all the uncertainty and death, tonight, many folks will still go through the motions and write down their New Year’s resolutions that in most cases won’t amount to a piss hole in a snowbank. Our memories and future dreams might just be mere notions, all subject to twisted time and chaos theory, but we are still tough little critters.
The thing I find most interesting about all this make believe is that we usually have no sense whatsoever that we will never engage in a cherished activity ever again. Who realizes they are having sex for the last time? Or saying goodbye to an old friend or loved one forever? Watching fireworks? Driving a car? Eating pizza? Swimming in the ocean? Wishing on a shooting star?
We all knew this was a temporary gig. Here today and gone tomorrow. But the fact that everything we do, every day of our lives, could be the Last Waltz, should make us all stop our complaining and promising, and just start telling everybody we hold dear just how much we love them each time we leave or hang up the phone.
I guess it really is like old Robby Burns said in the song “Auld Lang Syne”, which, for the record, means “old long since”:
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And days of auld lang syne?
For auld lang syne, my dear
For auld lang syne
We’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet
For days of auld lang syne