I just don't subscribe to the Gregorian Calendar

...because I've never understood the hoopla surrounding New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.  I know, I know, I'm crazy!!  But I just don't get it.  It's just another day.  I get why people are hopeful about it, but I'm not really sure what changes from 11:59 pm December 31st to 12:01 am January 1st.  And I spend my entire time thinking that there are already places in the world that are already in the "New Year" and other places that have yet to be in the "New Year", and if you own a business then your "fiscal New Year" is really much more important than your December to January New Year, so really, what is this elusive "New Year"?! 

I'm not buying it.  Carson Daly and Dick Clark aren't making any money off of me.

In my most heightened party girl stage, I still wanted to curl up in bed and veg out on New Year's Eve.  I didn't get to do it much then, and somehow, not now either.  Boo!

I get that for some people, it's a point of hope, of renewal, of inspiration.  But that's only if they do something about it.  What's that quote -- something like 'doing the same thing over again and expecting different results is the true definition of insanity'?  Yeah.  That's what comes to mind.

I'd like to think that every new day is a point of hope, of renewal, of inspiration.  I try to remind myself of that.  I've failed pretty miserably at it lately.  But I still have it present in my everyday thoughts so I take it to mean that there is hope for me still. 

You know, I don't know...  I guess if I force myself to think about 2009 and all its faults, which is what I think the "New Year" demands you to do, I'm sure I could.  I definitely can't say it's been an easy year for us, but I can't say it's been a bad year.  I can't say any year I've ever had has been a bad year.  Not because bad things haven't happened, but because it's just part of a larger picture which I have faith in.

Last night, Jonathan asked me how I knew that God loves us and takes care of us.  I'm really bad with all the religion stuff.  I don't know the stories and the reasons why and while sometimes, I want to learn, most times I don't.  I call myself a Catholic because that is what I most subscribe to, but really, at the root of it all, I just think religion -- any religion -- is a way to get to God.  Of all the limited religions I know, there is always a central character who's love and power and strength guides the rest of us mortals. 

I had a really strong phase in my teen years where all I wanted to do was become an attorney and somehow that coincided with the time I questioned religion the most.  While those two worlds of future dreams and religion were colliding, I learned that when you are getting ready for a case, the Plaintiff and Defendant present to the Court a set of "stipulated facts"...things both parties  agree on and do not argue to be true or false.  For instance, in a murder trial, some facts both parties can agree on would be that there was a murder.   The rest is debatable. 

That is how I learned to look at religion.  All religions (even atheists in their denial of God's existence, somehow demand him to be true in my opinion) have one stipulated fact and that is that there is a God.  And He is helping you and loving you and guiding you and all you have to do is let Him in and look for Him.  That is what I hope Jonathan and Bryan understand about God.  That is all I can teach them.  Maybe they'll go to some formal training, such as catholic school or CCD.  Maybe they'll do all that and then decide to convert to Judaism at 20. 

Hahahaha-- waaaay off topic...anyway, I don't subscribe to the Gregorian Calendar.  I'm going to see if I feel more hopeful and inspirational and ready to say "goodbye" to the past year when the Chinese New Year comes along. C'mon, Tiger let's see what you can do!  :)