Are you proud of the year that has passed us on by? Or are you living vicariously through somebody else's year? Perhaps you judge whether or not a year was successful on behalf of George W. Bush. Or maybe this year's music awards gave everything away to hip-hop and R&B stars, and you swear, just SWEAR this nation's music scene is going to hell in a handbasket. Maybe you are disheartened by the amount of troops that have died in the line of fire, or maybe your cable television programming continues to suck even though it has added a hundred new sucky channels. Maybe McDonald's new healthy menu has given you a moment of truth in saying, "I'll be, I guess I can eat McDonald's every day and not get mad at myself for my lack of willpower".

Perhaps you are glad that all of all the superstar drug-doping athletes are going down, well, at least the select few that have ONE particular synthetic steroid in their system. Maybe it is exciting that Fear Factor is featuring twins on their show, and people are eating even more nasty things. How overjoyed were you when Saddam was captured, looking dejected and beaten, and carrying a mere 175,000 dollars on him, with a taxi parked nearby? How awesome was it when the Florida Marlins won? Who are the Marlins? At least we know where Florida is now, because that is where Bush and Gore fought it out like squabbling little children. And it has to feel great to have your name on a 'do not call' list, and to have the anti-spam bill passing in congress (I guess the spammers haven't heard of it yet).

But in spite of the year's ups and downs, well, have you something to be proud of that is entirely caused by you? Have you contributed to your neighbor's welfare? Have you done all that you can do for your loved ones? Have you improved yourself to your capabilities? Or do you turn on the television and radio and live through another celebrity. My friend, the old year is all about you. Learn from it, and make this world a better place, and pretty soon there will be no more need for television, media-bashing, fast-food, top-100 music, and all the advertisements that are shoved down your throat.

Live. And remember 2003, the way YOU lived it, and learn. And next year, you'll have just cause to celebrate, and not because everybody else is doing it.