Hope Is What I Hope the New Year Brings

by Ernie McCray

2021.
Whew! What a year.
Makes you entertain hopes for what the New Year might bring.

And there could be a variety of hopes.
Know what I mean?

And I have hopes for the New Year.

Based on this past year, a year I suspected would be a bit crazy, considering all the sadness and madness we had to tolerate during the previous four years or so, I would hope we never experience anything so bizarre and frightening ever again.

But I’ve been looking through my journal and I see that, at moments, during the beginning of this passing year, I wasn’t thinking of such things. My heart was humming and singing. Just from having seen a record number of voters kick a heartless POTUS out of office.

So, my first journal entries of the year were about nice sunny weather and good cheer, all reflections of how I was feeling inside – and it was like that for a few days…

And then, January 6th, an historic “Day of Infamy,” rears its ugly head, obliging me to write something I hope I never have to write again:

“It’s a mess in D.C.
Anarchy
to a high degree.
Storming through the Capitol Building:
Someone was shot
and killed…

All started
on Capitol Hill.

What will
tomorrow bring?”

And I ask that question now, nearly a year later, replacing “tomorrow” with 2022.

What will the New Year bring?

Who knows?

I sure don’t, but in a country that, at times, seems as though it’s being overrun by stupidity, I hope we get our heads on straight and learn to differentiate between what’s good for the common good, and what might do us absolutely no good.

It would truly be hope inspiring if we could, as a society, adapt ourselves to such life affirming critical thinking.
And hope is the main thing I hope the New Year brings.
Humanity needs it badly.