Countdown Begins

So another year is ending this century and a new one being heralded?
What's so great about it that you want to party hard? What is it about
the New Year that you are welcoming with such aplomb? Why is it that
you are guzzling down your dad's, or your own, hard earned dough for
just a change in date? For after all, it is a change of date only. Is
it not? And if that's a cause for celebration then I think we should do
it every day!

Think about it. How is 2002 going to be any different from 2001 for
you? Nature doesn't change its course because of a change in dates. The
sun will rise in the East and set in the West on January 1 2002 just as
it does every day. The hands of the clock will move every second to log
the minutes and the hours of the day. The water supply will cease after
eleven in the morning and mom will still be pulling you sleepy heads
out of bed. You'll still be forced to drink that glass of milk, like
every other morning. And you'll still have to say it's Anita on the
phone when it's actually Ajay. You'll have the same pre-examination
jitters, the same peer pressure to contend with, the same parental
expectations to live up to, the same qualms, the same heartaches, the
same deadlines?the same everything but a different suffix to the date.
What's all the cheer about then?

Have I managed to spoil all the fun this New Year's eve? I am sorry.
That was not my intention. All I wanted to do was to make you ask
yourself why and what you are celebrating.

If you are celebrating life - do it every day. Thank all the people who
make your life a truly beautiful one. Thank your parents (with whom you
are constantly bickering for more pocket money) for giving you the
opportunity to be a part of this world. Thank your friends for the
support and camaraderie they lend to you in times of distress. Thank
your teachers (not necessarily the ones in school) for moulding your
personality into what it is today. Celebrate yourself!

On the other hand, if this celebration is an excuse for partying - do
it differently. Anybody can wash down money on pizzas and beer and tire
him or herself beyond exhaustion. What are you doing that's unique?
Can't you instead shack up with a few close friends and catch up with
old times? Who says a party isn't a party if it's not on Madison
Square? Jazz up your act. Relive memories! Talk! Bond with your friends
instead of hip hopping in a plush discotheque to the tune of Vengaboyz.
Re-discover the pleasures of good company. Share your experiences and
revel in the joy of friendship! Let this New Year eve go down as being
a memorable one rather than becoming just one more night of partying
and pub hopping.

And since it is in fact a new year there ought to be something we can
change. Elders often mistake us youngsters as belonging to the brat
culture - irresponsible, uncaring, selfish and immature. Can we change
their beliefs and let them know the real us? Can't we make 2002 an year
of novelty? An year where we change not what's around us, but what's
inside us. It's customary to make resolutions when the New Year's round
the corner?and not living up to them. Can't we, for once, relish our
responsibilities, take pride in our work and enjoy each day as it
unfolds? Life is not about nail polishes chipping off or your team
losing a match. It's about journeying a path of self-discovery and
learning something new each day. It's about choosing your aims and
working towards them. It's about accepting what you are blessed with
and making the most of it. It's about people who mean the most to you.
Try making 2002 a representative of a new kind of life and a better
lifestyle. Wish you the very best. And hope you have a prosperous New
Year!