Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Although Christmas is over, I’m still singing “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire.” I guess that will continue for a few more days. I should be singing Auld Lang Syne but I don’t know the words. Shoot, I can’t even spell it without looking it up!

Can you believe we are entering the decade of the 2020’s? That’s the 21st Century and, to be honest, I feel more comfortable in the 20th Century. At the same time, I’m glad to be alive and I’ll take all the decades God gives.

Here’s the question for tonight, although by the time you read this, the question will be moot, meaning it doesn’t matter. The time for New Year’s Eve will have passed.

Will you see, in real time, the apple drop in Time’s Square? Or, perhaps the more appropriate question for me is, “Can I stay up that late?” It’s definitely questionable.

I saw on Facebook a high school classmate of mine had petitioned New York City to change the time of the Apple Drop to 9:00 ET so that he could see it. Then, right after that petition, another maturing man…notice I creatively called these two “maturing” men and not “old” men…petitioned the Sugar Bowl committee to start the game before 8:45 ET so that he could see his beloved Georgia Bulldogs before he fell asleep.

The facts are clear. We “maturing” people can no longer stay up until midnight for the simple purpose of seeing a New Year arrive. For the grace that we need so abundantly, usher in the New Year at, say, 9:00 PM. Then we can see it and go to bed at our normal times.

It hasn’t always been this way. I remember, that’s also becoming a thing of the past, when I could stay up to see the New Year come. That was way back in the 20th Century!

I blame it on my parents. When I began to drive as a teen in the small town of Pelham, they reminded me that “Nothing good happens in town after 10:00.” So I was accustomed to getting home early and in bed early. As they say, “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” I don’t know who “they” are that said that, but it’s not true. I am fairly healthy, but far from wealthy and certainly not wise.

Back to New Year’s Eve and apple dropping. I see that Atlanta has put their peach dropping on hold. The mayor made the decision to reevaluate and bring back the tradition bigger and better. She may not get her chance because another part of town, East Atlanta Village, has co-opted New Year’s Eve for a Rooster Drop. I don’t know what a Rooster Drop is, but they’re going to have one!

That begs the question, “What could we drop to celebrate the coming 2020?” It might have something to do with sweet corn, peanuts, or cotton, speaking of our agricultural products. Or, down by the Lake or in the River, we might have a catfish drop.

I guess many things could be dropped to usher in the New Year, but it wouldn’t matter all that much to me. I’ll just probably drop off to sleep. And it won’t be at midnight.

A new year and decade are coming whether we like it or not. As I have already said, I’m glad to be here. I just hope this New Year is full of hope, peace, joy, and love for all of us. Happy New Year to everyone! And thanks for reading my column.