May Old Conception Be Forgot

"I’m going to give them a piece of my mind!" Thought Sibley, the Raccoon, "I'm not going to let them get away with this anymore!"

Sibley was upset that year after year after year, the Committee on New Years always unveiled their new model year and every time the new New Year was going to be bigger and better than all the previous models they ever released. The old year, they'd admit, wasn't all that they had promised but this, THIS YEAR, was going to be different. Yessir!

Then, without fail, the New Year would begin and fail to live up to the hype and the Committee on New Years waited till all the time ran out on the current year before unveiling another New Year. But this time, THIS New Year was hyped up to be the greatest year since 1999!

"They can't keep doing this to us!"Sibley the Raccoon shouted at the New Year party she was attending, "We must demand change, we must demand better from the committee!"

Sibley was hoping to spark a revolution. Make enough people angry by pointing out that the committee failed to deliver on its promises year after year after year. But no one seemed to be willing to take action. They continue to have optimism that maybe this year the committee will get it right.

Many of Sibley's friends tried to calm them down, offering helpful tips like:

"Stay positive, Sibley!" Said the Rabbit.

"This could be your year!" Added the Owl

"Here have a glass of champagne, it'll take your mind off of it!" Offered the Cat

Sibley did oblige the offer of champagne. Sibley was never one to turn down a bubbly, celebratory beverage no matter how worked up they were about a particular issue at the time.

"Don't you see!" Sibley said as they downed the glass of champagne, "These are all the things the Committee on New Years wants you to think!"

Sibley went to take a sip of her champagne and realized, in their anger, they must have drank it faster than they were expecting. Sibley asked and received another glass.

"If we keep repeating these platitudes and propaganda nothing will ever change for us!" Sibley continued.

Sometime after their 5th or 6th glass of champagne Sibley heard the familiar refrain of Auld Lang Syne being sung. This was the signal that the Committee on New Years was about to drop the new New Year for everyone to behold. Sibley initially recoiled but maybe due to the number of champagnes they had consumed, the melancholy optimism of the tune sucked Sibley in, just as it does every year.

Seeing her friends embrace and sway and sing the old song welcoming the New Year never failed to awe Sibley. That despite everything telling us this New Year was going to be just as cruddy as the last, there was still hope that maybe, just maybe, this New Year would be the one. Maybe the Committee on New Years had finally gotten it right. At least, that's what can all hope for. Regardless of whether or not we truly believe. We can always hope and face forward with optimism.