Fêtes and Folly: Happy New Year

7:00 AM

Norman Rockwell, Happy New Year, Saturday Evning Post Dec. 26, 1945
By GARY WHITTAKER

The ball has dropped, the champagne has run dry and the new January sun has just begun to crest the buildings in this city. Yet, this one man remains. His shoulders hunched, his head bowed and his back to the viewer. The stance telegraphs regret; the obvious answer is our little would-be Bacchus dove too deep and enjoyed too much.

Don't worry guy. it's the First of January, while not off to a perfect start, you can rise above last year's, or last night's, mistakes and become a better person for it. 1945 is over and a better world arises from the terror that was. Last night and last year have been huge mistakes in not just your life, but most of the worlds. While you might be the last one left, that's fine, dust the confetti off your shoulders, fix your tie and tails, hold your chin up high, back straight and walk out onto that street and face the New Year.


*** Editor's Note: Students developed the topic of Fêtes and Folly to chronicle elegant celebrations, bad dates, late nights, or other things related to that time in Spring where barbaric yawps can be heard from backyards, beaches, or the more familiar rooftop. Enjoy their revelry, cheeky overstatement, and occasional tales of ribaldry over the next couple of weeks.

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