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This writing was accepted for publication in the 108 page perfect-bound ISSN#/ISBN# issue/book “a Pick for the Future” cc&d, v275 (the Sept. 2017 issue) Order this as a 6"x9" paperback book:  |
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Order this Janet Kuypers writing from her most recent poetry book series: (pheromemes) 2015-2017 show poems Order this 6" x 9" ISBN# perfect-bound book today of poems written mid-2015 - mid-2017 that were performed during her poetry shows & performances in Austin, TX
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Order this writing in the issue book Language of Untamed Spirit the cc&d Sept.-Dec.2017 collection book |
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get the 4 page May-August 2017 cc&d magazine issue collection 6" x 9" ISBN# paperback book:
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Order this Janet Kuypers writing from her poetry book Every Event of the Year (Volume One: January-June) Order this 200+ page 7½" x 9¼" ISBN# book today of select poetry for holidays and events spanning the first half of the calendar year
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| Everyone Celebrates Together
Janet Kuypers 12/1/16 I’ve always been the one to plan everything. And I knew I wanted to celebrate on new year’s eve... It’s weird to think that ancient calendars used to begin at the vernal equinox, in March, and it’s weirder to think that this celebrating started in 2000 BC in Mesopotamia — Iraq. But even though other cultures use different calendars and celebrate the new year on different days — Ethiopians celebrate the rain on September 11th. Thai new year? People splash blessing water on April 13th. The Chinese New Year varies with the lunar calendar, with lion and dragon dances, drums, fireworks and more — all in red for good luck for the next year. Some countries celebrate by running into water — freezing cold water. I saw this new year’s Polar Bear Plunge repeatedly, topped with remembering the past & celebrating the new. # So yeah, I usually plan everything, so one December I said, “I’m tired of coming up with a plan for New Year’s.” And I told someone else to come up with a plan. Being a mid-westerner, someone looked at me and said, “Let’s watch the ball drop in New York City.” He didn’t have a plan of where to stay, he just said it. And my first impulse was to think this was ludicrous, it’s too far away, we have no place to stay. But then I gave it a second thought: salespeople at my company sell in New York, maybe I could float the idea their way, and maybe we could actually pull this off. After I mentioned it to just one saleswoman I’ve never met in person, they invited us to their home in Connecticut so we could train to the city with her son and his friends to celebrate the New Year. One phone call was all it took, and the next thing I knew we were road tripping to New York to watch the ball drop in Times Square. # And in times like this, in times where we celebrate, everyone is instantly your friend. My coworker brought me to the Chrysler Building so I could see the view from our company’s Manhattan office. And that’s the only time I took a photograph of the World Trade Center Towers, buildings you never really think about unless the news is bad. But no, this was a time for sight seeing... And you know, people complain about the traffic in New York, but it didn’t seem much different from Chicago, and on this one trip the roads were my friends and we got along just fine. But forget the car on New Year’s Eve, my coworker’s son, his name was Trip, and he took me on a trip on a train, with new friends, in a new town, until we found a perfect place for a perfect view on the street. And on this one night, we all screamed together, we all celebrated together, and we all stuck together, even leaning on each other for a nap on the ride home on the train. Because maybe it’s worth it to work on that bucket list — even if you don’t have one — if one of the things only comes from an off-the-cuff suggestion to try something you’ve never tried before. It might amount to meeting tons of new people, for moments you’ll never forget. And remember, with these festivities, everyone, can celebrate — together. |
