Last night one of my local public radio stations played a selection of golden oldies -- archived New Year's Eve radio shows from years and years ago, including a Jack Benny show from 1939 and a Father Knows Best from the very early 50s. At the very start of one show from 1957, the male announcer burbled enthusiastically, "Here's to another Great Year!!!" Which made me feel tired, jaded and just plain old. We are a generation of content business survivors; unable to be naive enough to think things will ever be unremittingly
"Great!" again.

But then I remembered my all-time favorite New Year's poem, "Nostalgia" by America's current Poet Laureate, Billy Collins.

This deliciously witty poem reminds everyone that the golden days have always been behind us... whether in 1340, 1790, or even the
recently departed dot-com bubble years. Check it out at: http://www.bigsnap.com/p-qa-02.html

Personally the whole bubble burst is a bit of relief. Many of my friends risked their marriages and/or health in the all-or-nothing dash for almost instant wealth. Now we're back to the ground. Now we can carry on. Happy 2002.