Anything is possible with a new year

Happy New Year.

It seems crazy to think that it’s 2013 already. It was just 1997 a couple weeks ago it seems. But then life moved into hyper drive and suddenly … bam! 2013.

As much as I want to think it’s still 1997 sometimes, I’m constantly reminded that I’m getting older. Some examples: I hurt my back a week ago — putting on my shoes. And I wrecked my knee on Sunday — sledding with my family.

Yep, I’m definitely not getting younger, that’s for sure. Of course, to be fair, I distinctly remember being rather accident prone in 1997, too — when I nearly cut my finger off with a spatula.

I don’t make resolutions for New Year’s. As my oldest put it the other day (she was born in 1997, by the way), if you want to improve something about your life, why wait until the first of the year to do it?

But we’re fascinated by calendars. Just ask all those people who stood on rooftops on Dec. 21 waiting for the world to end. And I’ve been drawn to dates for a long time. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is an easy one to remember. I remember where I was, with who and what was said, even. Mostly good memories, but not all.

I’m hoping that 2013 is filled with good memories. Last year was kind of a mixed bag. I did some things right and I screwed some things up in a manner that only myself and Clark W. Griswold are capable of. Look kids! Big Ben. Parliament.

It seems that at the end of every calendar year, we have a tendency to look back and smile at the things we did right. And plan to do better next year with the things we did wrong. Just like we did in 2011. And 2010. And 2009. Etc. Ad nauseum.

Who knows though. Maybe this is the year I win the lottery. If so, I should probably start buying tickets. Maybe that could be my resolution: to waste more money buying lottery tickets. Sounds like poor planning to me, though.

Maybe this is the year the Bills make the playoffs. Maybe this year the NHL will decide they actually want to play some hockey. Maybe this year … anything is possible.

That’s what’s so interesting about changing the calendar from December to January. Anything is possible.

Scott Leffler is an optimist and a dreamer. He shares his hopes on Twitter @scottleffler.