New Beginnings & Fresh Starts

  As I prepare for the beginning of a new year, new semester, new classes and new students it has me pondering the novelty, appeal and fascination of new beginnings and all things new. Theres something about the beginning of some things that appeals to most of us.  The first day of school, the first date, the first cold crisp day of fall, the beginning of a new little life, and the beginning of a new year. Also, there is the fascination with all things new, the smell of a new car, the joy and wonder of a new toy or gadget, a brand new pair of shoes, or the sheer delight of a brand new journal (come on, all you journal people you know what Im talking about...the beautiful view of a clean, unwritten journal that still has that new paper smell Ahhh!!!).
   There seems to be something about the idea of something new, whether it an item or a period of time, that creates a sense of anticipation and delight. Maybe it has to do with the fact that you start out fresh, no marks against you. Or it could be the idea of treading where no footprints remain, with an anticipation of whats to come. Maybe its the joy of being able to apply what we have previously learned to new situations, people and events. I know for me, sometimes its just the joy of the organizations and preparation that seems to give the beginning of something its appeal.
  Think about it, all diets start at the beginning of the week or the year,  and resolutions are proclaimed at the start of something new. We also tend to care more for things that are new, we wash new cars more then old ones, we tread lightly in new shoes and bypass what even appears to be mud, and we seem to weigh our words more in new friendships. But don't get me wrong even with all the appeal and novelty of the new there is still no discounting the feel of that good old pair of jeans and that one pair of shoes that can get you through any day, but they did have their day when they, like all things, were new.
  So here's to the brand new, the fresh starts and new beginnings. May we approach them in fascination, handle them with care, and realize that all that is new will become, well...old. But then again, we could not have one without the other and maybe, just maybe, without old new would not hold it's fascination.