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Atoke’s Monday Morning Banter: The 2012 Ball Drop

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As my eyes flickered open this morning, the thought that popped into my head was the last one that was settled in it before I went to bed: Tonight, some people will go and stand in the cold at Times Square to usher in the New Year.  I burrowed deeper into my duvet as if to reassure my body that I wasn’t going to subject it to any extremities because it was the last day of the year.

Being the lazy bugger that I am and have always been, New Year’s eve has never been my favourite time of the year! It always involves being out of bed at an unholy hour. However, it was the norm to pray into the new year and thank God for seeing you through the past year and it’s also a time for ***drum roll*** RESOLUTIONS!

It’s that one day when you swear to get rid of all the physical, emotional and psychological junk in your life. Surely, nature abhors a vacuum so you pledge to fill in the space with all the good things you want. Lofty goals are set, great plans are made and with a sense of self-assuredness, you step into the new year (which is basically the following day but we need to do this for great dramatic effect!) Anyway, you find that you make all these nice promises under bright shiny lights and the beautiful display of light, love and happiness, but something happens.

January begins to unfold and people start taking down the Christmas lights, your bills start coming in and the full effect of the holiday splurge is setting in both on your wallet and your mid-riff. Then you find that it’s more difficult to meet those goals set under the euphoria of the bright lights. So what do you do? If you’re the typical Nigerian by the first week in March you’re saying “Wo, I can’t kill myself abeg!” and it’s down the slippery slope again.

I’ve given up on making resolutions of my own. From vowing to stop the consumption of rice, to getting myself a man, to growing 3 inches taller and failing at all times, I’ve resigned myself to the wonderful arms of fate, my favorite song being “Que Sera Sera”. I can only say that every year I say to myself, it’s just another day on the calendar and I’d do what I strive to do on other days… live, love, be fulfilled and try and bring joy to people around me. It doesn’t matter if it’s the 4th of June or the 29th of August. I’ll just be me, be happy, remember that I have just one life and there’s a purpose for which I’ve been placed on earth.

So, whatever you do today; how ever you choose to spend your new year, make sure you’re happy, and you’re doing what you want to do, when and how you want to do it.  And if you have to spend New Year’s eve at Times Square, make sure you keep warm!

Oh! don’t forget to share your most memorable resolutions and if you’re a champ and you’ve stuck to them, please tell us how you did it! Also, share how and where you’ll be spending the last day of 2012!

Peace, love and cupcakes!

Toodles!

P.s! Watch this video from last year’s New Year’s eve.

Photo credit: encarnasanmiguel.orgfree.com

You probably wanna read a fancy bio? But first things first! Atoke published a book titled, +234 - An Awkward Guide to Being Nigerian. It's available on Amazon. ;)  Also available at Roving Heights bookstore. Okay, let's go on to the bio: With a Masters degree in Creative Writing from Swansea University, Atoke hopes to be known as more than just a retired foodie and a FitFam adherent. She can be reached for speechwriting, copywriting, letter writing, script writing, ghost writing  and book reviews by email – [email protected]. She tweets with the handle @atoke_ | Check out her Instagram page @atoke_ and visit her website atoke.com for more information.

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