Viva La Vida

My 7-year-old granddaughter asked her 30-year-old dad what he did for fun when he was a kid, before TV and video games. Young people can sometimes be curious about life back in the day, and certainly our experiences have some relevance. But for the most part, I think it's best for us to spare the younger people our stories about the good old days. Our stories can be kind of a yawn. It's like Lee Trevino said: "The older I get, the better I was."

Some of us act like our best days are behind us. And they most certainly are if we believe that. But I look at it like this. Today is the best day ever. It's the only day we have. And tomorrow? Well, there are no guarantees, but tomorrow can be exciting if we have hopes and dreams and goals. And if we are actively involved in making them come true.

As I write this, there are 36 more hours left in this year. Then 2012 will be here, all bright and shiny and full of promise. My wish for you, my reader, is this: May the best of your past be the worst of your future.

Happy New Year.

Susan

Lyrics to "Viva La Vida" by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin