January Edition︱Writing
Essay 3: Thoughts That Came After All The Celebrations | By Jack H.
Needless to say, 2024 was quite the year. Looking back on it, I’m saddened to say that people seemed to be feeling a general sense of resignation. Resignation to war, to death, to injustice, and to division. The Israel-Palestine war continues, as does the Russian-Ukraine, Donald Trump survived two assasination attempts before winning another election (much to the chagrin of many Americans), and of course, Jake Paul fought Mike Tyson. Truly, a year can get no sadder. So how do we maintain hope for the new year?
Well, I think that different people need different things to have hope. Some might require an explanation, others, the embrace of family. Some just seem to be satisfied with blowing on those little New Year’s horns. Personally, I find solace in a quote from the play, Peter Pan: “all this has happened before, and it will happen again.” The world has seen dark times before. The first fifty years of the twentieth century saw World War 1, the Great Depression, and World War 2. Children born between 1900 and 1945 hardly knew a childhood. They were raised in a manner and time that led them to predominantly feel fear and sorrow. Yet they persevered. Shortly after, during the Cold War, the world was constantly on the brink of nuclear war. Kids had a hard time growing up happily then, too.
War was not just a problem in the twentieth century. Of course, there were times when empires would simply go to war, and no one would bat an eye. Bloodshed was routine in the constant battle for survival and dominance. I tell myself, death and destruction have happened throughout history. Humans have been through dark times before, and always rebounded, so why are these times any different?
In fact, the world has survived seven mass extinctions. Yet here we are, alive on the Earth. At any time, we might be wiped out entirely in an eighth extinction. Nature wouldn’t bat an eye. It would rebound, and fight on. If nature can do that, and we are part of nature, then why can’t we?
I think this has a lot to do with one of the more fascinating characteristics of Hinduism. Hindus believe that the universe is continually destroyed and recreated in a cycle. The god Shiva is the one who, when the time comes, must destroy the universe, so that the creator god Brahma can build it back up once again. I like to put some belief in that, though I’m not a Hindu. It helps me realize that no matter who wins what election, life, hopefully including us humans, will simply rebound. We’ll be alright in the end. Or at least, nature will! That’s just my way of looking at things. Perhaps you might find it too dark to give you hope, and that’s fine. I’m just sharing what helps me actually look forward to the New Year. Oh yeah, Happy New Year!
January | By Sabrina
January is the first month of the new year. Speaking of new year I bet you everything in the world that the first thing you thought of when thinking January is new years. Even though January is the new years there is many more things and aspects of January that are way more exciting then the next year. For example where January got its name? January got its name from the Romans who named January after the Roman god Janus. Janus is the Roman god of doorways, gates, beginning, time, and endings. Janus is often depicted as a two headed deity so one head could see the future and another could see the past. The reason exactly why the Romans chose Janus was because of how he symbolizes new beginnings, transitions and roads.
A popular thing people do is have a New Year’s resolution. The question is, should we have them or not? In my opinion no one keeps their resolution or they just forgot about or just procrastinate it because people always pit goals they have for the future but I had never heard of a person finishing their New Year’s resolution or doing it early. Like these people do this but never do they their goals. It might be because of how lots of people don’t really do keep their resolutions that has this kind of effect but I don't really know. In a tv shows a person made an invention where they will change the new years resolution of people to make them follow him but he completed it the problem was soon after everyone told him that no one follows it. Could it be the everyone forgets? Well if that was the problem then people should just write it in a piece of paper in huge fonts and then put it in a place they will always see it just put a reminder on your phone your on it on like more than half of your time. What kind of psychology stuff is this? What kind of psychologist do I need to ask in order to understand this way people make these goals but don’t do them? What college students put this to the test? Then there is Martin Luther King jr day which you get a day off from school but know one really does anything for the day I feel like they just see it as a day off. It more special than that or why would a holiday get a day off since only really important holidays people consider are what you kids get off from school. Why is January so boring since there is no special holiday other then new years that give it it glow since again people don’t care about Martin Luther King jr day. Nothing people like about it just doesn’t have a glow or theme other than fireworks and new years that other cultures could easily replace such as Chinese new years and japanese new years Omisoka so why?
The Mark Of January | By Kelly
January promote determination
For some people, it’ll test their dedication
Since the beginning of year starts a new
People don’t want their lights to flicker blue
The start of the year leaves a hue
That determines the rest of your year through
It’s a battle of wit and skill
That will bend one’s will
Because to give up is to fail
But you don’t want to seem frail
So I’ll leave a trail
And await my entail