Remember what we celebrate

Matt Pearl

The year 2015 is nearing its natural end — I couldn’t have imagined as a child that time should move so quickly, but it does.

The sun rises without my permission, and sets without asking for my blessing.

The year comes and goes in the same fashion.

But each year as we get into December and look toward the next one, I reflect.

The year, 2015, was a big one for us here at Pearl Publishing, Inc.We expanded our operations to include The Albany Ledger, which has been a lot of work, but certainly well worth the effort in terms of our commitment to bring local news to the immediate area.

As a consequence, being a teacher ended for me in 2015, but I was blessed to teach for 13 years, nine in King City.

I’m not going to spend all of these column inches talking about myself and the year past, but it’s worth a moment of time for us to remember the importance of being thankful and appreciative of the year now past.

We saw the Royals win it all, and Stanberry’s football team win a second title.

We saw the grocery store sell in King City.

We saw disasters of human terrorism at home and abroad.

It was a lot to take in, the good and the bad, but the year was far from dull.

Many papers do a special Year in Review section late in December. My paper doesn’t really have a precedent for doing so, and I don’t intend to start such a tradition. There’s nothing wrong with a newspaper doing such a section, but it conflicts with one of our core philosophies here: that tomorrow is gone, and today and tomorrow must be in the forefront of our thoughts.

Besides, that’s why Flashbacks are on this very page each week: because we can’t seem to resist the temptation to look backward at times.

But looking back is more effective when a little bit of time passes — you and I aren’t ready to process the last 12 months quite yet, at least not with due appreciation.

And what will 2016 bring?

A new U.S. President will be elected.

The Summer Olympics will take place barring some heinous act that would prevent them from occurring. Locally, mayors and aldermen and school board seats will continue on in the way in which we’re accustomed.

We can’t be sure of much, and 2016 will hold its own share of surprises, I’m sure.

Our world moves and changes quickly now, or perhaps I have just grown old enough to really begin to miss the past when the future begins to creep up on me.

I’m looking forward to the experience of this life as the new year comes. I don’t approve of everything that happens out there, or even think I have made all the right decisions over my years in this world.

Yet I have always felt peaceful and blessed with the coming of another year. And I know that 2016 will be no different.

I’ll remind you now in preparation for next week: in our Dec. 18 paper you will find area kids’ Letters to Santa. St. Nick has taken the Tri-County News since 1920, and he read the King City Chronicle before that. He’s our oldest subscriber and reads each of the letters we print.

And, finally, take a minute or two to enjoy things before Christmas and New Year’s eclipse our thoughts and obligations.

Remember what we’re celebrating and forget the stress of this world.