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Welcome to a new year. If you’re my age or older, born in the middle of the Twentieth Century, it’s hard to imagine that we are heading into what will be a year that ends the first quarter of the Twenty-First Century! It’s hard to fathom that a year that could not be imagined by so many, like me, is directly upon us.

Anyone who tells you that they know what is going to happen in this New Year is “pulling your leg.” That idiom, “pulling your leg,” definitely puts me in the oldie category, which is true, and I’m not just “yanking your chain!”

You know that to use that phrase is like telling someone an obvious, preposterous tale. They might say, “That’s not true, you’re just pulling my leg.”

I like the British version better than ours. After “yanking someone’s chain” and telling a tall tale, the person to whom you have told the whopper, might say, “Pull the other one, it’s got bells on it!”

Enough about pulling legs; what are some of the tales we might say about the upcoming year of 2025 that might merit someone saying, “Try again, I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck.”

What if I told you that 2025 is going to be a very boring year, with nothing changing even though we have thrown out one administration only to replace it with another? I think if I told you it’s going to be a year of the same-old-same-old, you might respond, “Yeah, right!”

Future President Donald Trump has rethought his second opportunity to lead the United States and has declared that he is committed to the George W. Bush philosophy and will be a “kinder and gentler” president. “No way, you’re pulling my leg!” Plus, he is committed to getting a full night’s rest and hyperbolic rallies are a thing of the past. “Now I know you’re messin’ with me.”

His last opponent Kamala Harris has sworn off word salads and has promised to speak in elegant English with full and “thought-out” phrases. In addition, she will never “cackle” or laugh again. Surely, you are yanking my chain! Perhaps.

 Did you hear this? Elon Musk is admitting he was wrong. After just a few weeks of looking at the waste, fraud, and abuse of the United States government, he has declared that, after looking into the subject, he feels that there has been way too much penny-pinching in the Congress and says, “Spend more! Your grandchildren will just waste it anyway!”

Vivek Ramaswamey, partner of Elon Musk, is going to change his name to Vick Ramsey, just so you will be able to pronounce it. Nah, just messin’ with you!

On the sports side of the ledger, Bainbridge native, Coach Kirby Smart, told the Georgia Dawgs to take it easy, it doesn’t matter if we win or lose the Sugar Bowl, “I don’t want another National Championship.” Right, and he plans to retire as Head Coach of the Dawgs and become the Defensive Coordinator for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. “You’re pulling my leg!”

Decatur County is going to get a very special kind of farm where, instead of growing peanuts, we’re going to grow monkeys! You wish I was just yanking your chain, don’t you? Sorry, can’t say I’m pulling your leg on that one.

Finally, as we head into a brand, New Year, I’m hoping that it will be the best one you have ever experienced. I hope your health is great, your pay is doubled, and all of your good dreams and wishes come true. And I’m not pulling your leg, yanking your chain, and messin’ wid chu!