The New Year Syllable Spectrum

A new year, I can hardly believe it. The holidays were good ones; they usually are. Mine were heaped in lots of change, some of which affects me personally, daily. Some of which is remote but significant just the same. In my immediate family and circle of friends, however, all is good and for that I am grateful.

I was a little bitter not to be skiing over New Years, as has been an annual tradition for my husband and I for...well, ever. But the horrendous economy put a screeching halt to that. Oh well, we have our health and there were gifts under the tree and food on the table--we're fortunate, to be sure.

For my resolution this year, I'm keeping it low key. In fact, I don't usually even make a New Year resolution because I think if you only resolve to do something differently because you're now writing two different digits at the end of your dates, are you really committed to sticking to it? If you want to quit smoking, why does it have to be Jan 1st to do so? If you really want to quit, then quit. Even if it's October 10th or August 5th--as non-resolutiony as those dates seem. Anyway, I'm breaking tradition and do have a resolution this year, one that's really only appropriate because of the year it is: and that's to get comfortable uttering a single syllable as the abbreviated year in any date I say aloud. When does my credit card expire? "February Third, Ten." When's the wedding? "June First, Ten."

Ten. When all but two years out of a hundred are double, triple and even quadruple syllables even when abbreviated (even the first years of the decade--05, 08, etc--were offered as "Oh five and Oh eight"), now quipping "Ten!" is awkward. (Racking your brain for the other single syllable abbreviated year? Don't strain yourself. It's Twelve.) Sure, I could resort to coughing out the full "Two Thousand Ten," but geez, you could take a nap before you get that whole thing uttered. So rather than try to lose weight, exercise, halt the cussing (a commitment I've failed at often), or cut the chocolate consumption, I'll diligently work to find a cool way to say the new year without resorting to the opposite end of the syllable spectrum. After all, I need chocolate to cope with all the change.

Happy Ten, everybody!