How many New Year’s Eves has it been? I remember the year I said that I had no expectations of anything happening in the coming year. Funny, before the year was over I was married. The one and only marriage I have ever had. While that may be a subject of future posts, it is not tonight’s. I felt an obligation to do at least one post tonight, one more New Year’s Eve. How many more will there be?

All around me folks are retiring. I am always asked when I will retire. My answer is always: retire to what? I learned of another colleagues retirement tonight. Again, I ask: Retire to what?

Travel? I have traveled more in the the last three years than I have my entire life. Grandchildren? Of course. But that is not a full time occupation. What else? Needlepoint? OK. Not that there is anything wrong with that but is that it? Who says you cannot do needlepoint, or photography or travel or, or, or? I intend to do it all.

This holiday weekend I moved into a new office. Does that sound like retirement? My new office is a launchpad for whatever it is I choose to be in the next year, the next few years. A home office just does not cut it. A home office, for me, is a variant on the retirement theme. I want to get dressed, interact with colleagues, get out there. Retirement? I don’t think so. Gardening? Are you kidding me? I live in the dark, gloomy, sunless, always look like it is going to rain during the winter part of the country? Gardening? I think not.

Writing? Of course! But what does one write about once one is retired? Gardening? Grandchildren? Needlepoint? See above. Writing means having something interesting to say. Call me judgmental, but I do think that if you are going to write, you need to live.

So here I am. One more New Year’s Eve. I slacked off for months. But, no, I did not retire. Actually, I have been dealing with work stuff, not retirement stuff. Probably not anything to write about. Much of work stuff is not something to write about — but it is better than retirement! No, I will not write about mundane work stuff. And I do mean mundane. But at least it is not about retirement.

So farewell another year. Welcome a new year. A new year of writing, I make the usual promises of providing content, entertaining you, inspiring you. Now I ask you to hold me to the promise.

Stay tuned. And happy new year.

•