New Year's Morning

New Year mornings are unlike any morning of the year. And as a result of having a five year old at home, I am usually “lucky” to experience the biggest part of it.

At 8am on this New Yea's morning, the usually busy road in front of our home is an oase of quietness. You can actually hear birds chirping, instead of the usual constant flow of cars driving in and out of Wentworth Point.

And while I am making my first coffee in 2024, my mind starts to wonder how the world slowly moves into normality again with people waking up from an evening drenched in beer and wine, topped up with Champagne at midnight.

I’m thinking about the people waking up in stranger beds, perhaps wondering how they actually ended up there. Or others finding themselves on the couch in an unfamiliar living room, with the view of half full glasses filled with beer and champagne. Now that’s an inspiring view to start your year with! I’m thinking as well about the relationships that ended, just to start 2024 with a clean sheet and the start of new romances on a more positive note. I think of all the New Year resolutions and the “I’ll never drink again” promises, just to be broken again within the next couple of days. And what about the thousands of hangovers?   

While I’m enjoying the unusual quietness from my seventh floor balcony, I see a girl crossing the street towards the busstop. She’s followed by a guy, and I can see from her body language and the way she is dressed that she did not plan on staying at his home. I see embarrassment from her side followed a sparkle of hope on his side. He looks like as he doesn’t want this moment to end so early.

I’m quickly browsing the news whilst eating my breakfast. I’m having the usual vanilla yoghurt with cereals, topped with fresh blueberries and strawberries. My iPad shows the blog of countries already welcoming 2024. I scroll and see the fireworks in Sydney Harbour. Soon I feel saddened to see the usual New Year riots and firework deaths in the Netherlands. Will this ever stop?

After breakfast I noticed the lack of fresh vegetables for the next couple of days and I walked outside onto the quiet road. I noticed the bottle shops on the way to the supermarket, facing peacefulness after what must have been a storm over the past couple of days. The entrance says welcome, but I can just see employees restocking shelves. Nobody with a sober mind is thinking of another drink at this time of the day.

I observe the few people in the supermarket going through their grocery shopping list. All of them with an expression on their face as if it’s just an ordinary Monday morning. One of the re-stock staff smiles at me, after I let her go first with a four wheel cart full of groceries. “Happy New Year!” she says, setting the mood for the moment.