THE MEANING OF NEW YEAR HOOPLA

For some strange reason millions of Americans gather in Times Square New Year's Eve, sometimes in the bitter cold, and watch the fading seconds of the old year and cheering in the new year. What in the world can this be all about? Is there no end to craziness?

And in parties all around the nation, people are getting smashed, acting silly, wearing funny hats, blowing horns and stealing a kiss. Olthers, more sedately, toast the new year with a glass of champagne.

The symbol we often see associated with these festivities, is Old Man Time with his ominous scythe, coming to claim his due. It is the symbol of Death, death of the old year. But he is on his way out. Death has once again been defeated and the New Year, represented by a newborn babe, is coming in. And wouldn't you know it, the first local baby born in the new year has his or her fifteen minutes of fame, and it can be a topic of conversation for a lifetime?

What is all the tumult and shouting about? Have we each survived another year, and we are celebrating our good fortune in being alive? It is a little over a week beyond the winter solstice and the days are getting longer, but there is hardly a hint of spring. The second of February we will be looking to a groundhog, hoping it won't see its shadow.

Can we be this concerned about the weather? The snowbirds have flown the coop and are basking in Florida, and we sturdy mainstays man the shovels and snowblowers, some of us glorying in snowmobiling, ice-skating and skiing. Others are heavily involved in hockey, well before the green grass welcomes soccer and baseball.

No, at bottom we are concerned about Life and Death, represented by the death of 1995 and the birth of 1996, heralding a year of hope and fulfilled resolutions. This is the year we will stop smoking or drinking. This is the year we will be more outgoing and generous. This is the year we will be nicer to family members who don't deserve it. This is the year I will take better care of myself.

This is the year I will reduce my cholesterol count and blood pressure. This is the year I will lose weight. This is the year I will exercise. This is the year I will floss my teeth. This is the year I will take a chance and make that career change. This is the year I will wear seat-belts every time. This is the year I will slow down at a yellow light. This is the year I will file my tax return early.

Consciously, we intend to do better. We celebrate the coming of the new year as having a blank slate, like the newborn babe. But the newborn is not a blank slate or simply soft clay to be molded. The newborn comes with a legacy of genes from his or her ancestors, determined by that great roulette wheel in the sky. The deck is dealt and we all carry some baggage, not of our choosing. Residing in the unconscious are all those powerful drives and unresolved conflicts which determine how often we break these conscious resolutions.

A deep knowledge of our unconscious gives us a better opportunity to choose and make new decisions which will stick. Psychoanalysis gives us a better chance to use the gift of free-will to grow in a positive and creative direction. The idea of growth and change for the better in 1996 is really something to work toward and celebrate. Happy New Year!