BND columnist shares the thoughts, advice of others as 2020 commences

Ah, the new year and the challenge to remember to write 2020 on checks, at least for those of us older folks who sometimes still write checks.

Here are some thoughts about the new year. Not my thoughts but I will borrow them for you.

“The year is going; let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true.” Alfred Lord Tennyson

After what has seemed like a terrifically false year, that may take a lot of bells, more even than the annual New Year’s Day ringing of the bells on the Belleville Public Square. But at least they are trying.

Should I be hopeful? Not if I read the news.

Should I cower in fear? That doesn’t seem very productive.

Should I buy stocks? Bonds? Real estate? Lottery tickets?

There are no pat answers but a lot of people have offered opinions about the new years through the ages. Some are optimistic. But as humorist and poet Don Marquis said, “An optimist is someone without much experience.”

Some are pessimistic. Marquis also noted that “A pessimist is someone who has talked to too many optimists.”

Maybe poet Ogden Nash expresses it best.

“Duck! Here comes another year.”

But if you should raise your head in the new year, here are some other opinions.

“Resoultion: To tolerate fools more gladly, provided this does not encourage them to take up more of my time.” James Hyde.

“I would say happy new year but it’s not happy; it’s exactly the same as last year, except colder.” Robert Clark.

“The New Year promises so many things yet delivers so very little.” Anthony T. Hincks.

“I have told so many friends, ‘Don’t worry the New year will be better.’ I love misguiding people.” Nitya Prakaslo.

He also said, “Grow up! The new year is not going to change anything. Things will get worse. You change the year, not the people.”

“Never leave anything out to dry as the sun comes up for the new year.” Markus Zusak.

I think that means take care of old business and get ready for new as the year changes. But I could be wrong.

On some more optimistic notes here is what everyone’s national cheerleader, Oprah Winfrey, said.

“Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right.”

And more poetically here is Tennyson again.

“Hope Smiles from the threshold of the year to come, Whispering, ‘It will be happier.’”

Let’s hope so.