2024 is here and with it some noteworthy historical milestones. This year marks the 110th anniversary of the start of World War One and the 85th anniversary of the outbreak of World War Two. It’s been 80 years since D-Day, 70 since Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile, and 60 since the Beatles first touched down in New York.
This year also marks the 40th anniversary of the Macintosh computer. I still remember the Orwellian Super Bowl ad that introduced it. It’s also the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which I watched in real time. And somehow, it’s been 20 years since Facebook got its start. Suddenly, it seems like history is just my own lifespan.
Tempus Fugit, Virgil famously declared 2500 years ago. Time flies. Before you know it, the countries you grew up with (East Germany, anyone? How about Czechoslovakia?) no longer exist and the rock-and-roll rebels of your youth are octogenarians.
My takeaway from the new year and the ancient wisdom: Life’s too short, so get writing. And lucky us, 2024 is a leap year. That gives us an extra day to seize.
Does the start
of a new year motivate you to seize the day?
Although time seems to be flying based on the events you cite, my inclination is to slow down and smell the roses.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Debra. One of my goals for last year was to slow down. I failed. I'm trying again this year.
ReplyDeleteNew Year's Day is just another day for me with the exception that it harkens a bunch of nonproductive work relating to business and personal taxes that I must address. I have labeled 2024 as the Year of Success.
ReplyDeleteI welcome the new year because I'm free of family obligations and the Cincinnati winter weather keeps me inside instead of doing yardwork. The first three months of the year are my most productive writing months.
ReplyDeleteTime is irreplaceable, so we need to make the most of it. Sometimes that is slowing down and savoring the moment as well as spending time at what we all love, which is writing and related tasks.
ReplyDeleteLove your country remark. I was in grade school at a time when colonies becoming independent. Back in the day, we were required to fill in country names on a blank map in geography class. Keeping up was hard to do and I’m still apt to look for Tanganyika or Zanzibar.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Margaret. I'm always more productive during the winter months when I'm mostly at home. After that, too many distractions! I'm always lifted when we start a new year. Always was, always will be! Unfortunately, all that culture and history I grew up with is going by the wayside. Cultural icons passing away, but music remaining forever!
ReplyDeleteMany years ago, someone gave me the advice, "Don't wish your life away." It's hard to do, especially when you're someone prone to anxiety. But yes, time does fly, and I don't want to wish it away.
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