Welcoming 2025 and my own past

2025 has arrived—another year that sounds all future-y. Maybe that’s just me, but, then, I’ve accumulated a bit of experience in this life thing, so I may have a bit of perspective on such things. Or maybe it’s delusions? Either way, I have thoughts about it all.

It seems crazy to think that a mere 25 years ago today we’d just found out that the “Y2K Bug” had really been squashed. In the run up to December 31, 1999 there was so much panicking going on—and without the benefit of social media, or even general Internet as much as there is now. These days, such the panic would probably do what the “bug” couldn’t do—bring the world to a halt, if only briefly.

On “Millennium Night”, Nigel was the Call Centre Manager for what was then Auckland City Council. They’d arranged a special night those who had to work that (the call centre was pretty much 24-hour, especially when there was a big event, like that year’s New Year’s Eve). Nigel was allowed to invite family to join him.

That evening my cousin-in-law picked me up and we went to my sister-in-law’s house for dinner, then the three of us, plus my niece drove into the central Auckland at around 10pm to join Nigel at his work. My journal from January 1, 2000 picks up the story (edited):

We got to Nigel’s work and I rang up for him, because he had to come down and let us in. We checked in with the security guard, and went upstairs.…

There was a big buffet on the seventh floor, and we waited there watching TV3’s coverage on a big screen TV as we waited for midnight. We watched the Chathams celebrate midnight, about a half-hour before us, then made our way up the 18th floor.

Midnight came, the lights stayed on, and I’m sure everyone sighed with relief. Unfortunately, the bad weather almost ruined the fireworks. We couldn’t even see the top of Skytower, which was hidden in a cloud. Still, what we could see looked good, and we could imagine how nice it would have been if the weather had been better. We had some more champagne, then went back down to the seventh floor for more food. We rang Nigel’s folks to wish them a Happy New Year, then by around 1:30, my sister-in-law, niece, and cousin-in-law] left. I decided to stay because, in part, I could help keep Nigel awake on the drive home.

I sent an e-mail to my brother and sister at 1.30 to let them know everything was OK.

About 2:15, the Mayor, Christine Fletcher, stopped by to see the people working, carrying an entourage behind her (including one aide who was very cute). We were all sitting around watching TV, she came back in the room from the loo, I presume, and she sneezed. I said "gesundheit”, as is my custom. She said, "That's my first sneeze of the new millennium!" and I said, "and I gave you your first blessing of the new millennium." They left a little while later, and a half-hour or so later, so did we.

Things went so smoothly with Y2K issues that the Emergency Operations Communications (what they used to call the civil defence communications bunker) centre closed at about 2.30.

We got home around three-thirty, spent some time with Saibh, then went to bed around ten to four, and that was our day.

I quote that at length because it felt like such a cool thing to be part of, and was very unusual. At the same time, though, I’d forgotten some of the details, and I’m so glad I wrote that down in those pre-blogging days, especially because I probably wouldn’t have blogged about all that, anyway.

Today I discovered something else I wasn’t really aware of before, and it was thanks to this blog. I knew that there were several different times over the years that I’ve mentioned that I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, but I didn’t remember that the first time I did so was on December 31, 2006, in my last post of that year, my very first with this blog (which began September 13 that year). Specifically, I said:

I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions. I think it just sets people up to fail, and we all have plenty of failures in our lives without adding more of our own creation.

Instead, I make some general goals for the year, things that are, perhaps, only “would be nice” rather than “must do”. I also set goals and targets low enough that they can be reasonably achieved, freeing me to make newer goals.

It’s always been that way for me, and I don’t see that changing. So, no resolutions for me, though I’ve already started what some people make resolutions about: I started gentle walking workouts, as I mentioned on Sunday (which, because of my recent blogging frenzy, seems like a month ago…). My goal is to get fitter to see if that will help me mind the mowing less, and so that I can use the cross trainer I have in the garage (I’m definitely not fit enough at the moment). We‘;’ll see—it’s just a general goal, after all.

And that’s been my New Year’s Day: Relaxing after a quiet New Year’s Eve with Leo (my usual tradition)< then today was about remembering and rediscovering my own past even as we all launch into a new year. That last part seems especially perfect for someone with a blog.

Happy New Year!

I saw the image up top on the Internet many times, and in many places. I have no idea who originally uploaded it, nor where I found it.