Day Two

I recently read about a Ghanaian New Year tradition that says you should dig a hole and speak all the bad things that happened in the past year into the whole. Fill it in with dirt. Then speak all the good things you'd like to have happen in the new year. Finally, you pour palm wine or schnapps on the filled-in hole and drink some of yourself.

I like this tradition, but I think I'm going to take it one step further. I have a collection of things that remind me of people, places or things (I won't elaborate.) from another time on which I too often dwell (See yesterday's post.). So when the rain stops and I have a moment to call my own, I am going to take this collection and put it in the hole that I dig. I will speak all the bad things from 2004 (and 2003 and 2002 and maybe even 2001), as the collection burns. When the fire is out, I'll fill in the hole; pour the schnapps (I'd have no idea where to find palm wine here); drink a little; and then go home and have 2005 be the year I intend it to be.

Yes. I like this plan.