All the years of my growing up, when I heard this, I believed that huge bells would start ringing in the sky and the New Year would appear like a bright white flash lighting up the sky and descend to the earth. It would fill the whole world, and when we woke up, we would see everything new and shiny and wonderful...
That never did happen physically - but I realized that one could wake up and feel all new and shiny and wonderful...
That too did not quite happen - and one woke feeling a kind of sadness, nostalgia, apprehension, and insecurity, with maybe a dash of new-shiny-wonderful...
Sometimes one would hear people philosophizing asking why only January 1st was New Year's Day. Why could not any day could be the beginning of a New Year. One could always have new beginnings...
Often it was just another day...
Today my mind turned to all those who:
Didn't have anything to look forward to
Weren't sure where their next meal was going to come from
Didn't know when the roof above their head would be ripped off
Were apprehensive about their jobs
Had mountains to climb just to survive
Knew that no one understood them and who were struggling with that
Knew that no one really cared about them
Felt that they didn't belong anywhere
Knew they did not have it in them to handle the difficult situations life would hand them
Knew they had a splintered home
Were at war with their neighbor, making living difficult and sorrowful
Could not get the bitterness out of their system
Just could not and did not want to face life
Were plain and simple afraid
Never knew a moment's peace and joy
Felt isolated and alone