A Single Digit

10, 9, 8... 3, 2, 1! Cheers erupt, hugs squeezed, and poppers explode. The anticipation of a new year comes to a close at the drop of a shiny ball at Times Square.

New Year's Eve is the epitome of letdowns. Each year every person wakes in their bed up on December 31st looking forward to their last full day of the year. They plan huge parties with friends and family that include fun games and food to keep them awake until 12 a.m. to welcome the new year. They buy poppers, balloons, confetti and festive plates and utensils to make the day more memorable.

The countdown begins and people watch as the second hand creeps towards the number 12 on the clock. When twelve o'clock arrives, a moments worth of cheers and excitement passes within a few minutes. Parties end and people are left with a huge clean up. Everyone exhausted from the long night crawl into their beds and fall right to sleep.

The letdown always hits me the morning I wake up on January 1st. I think of the fun games and time spent with friends the night before only to wonder what difference it made. The day seems just like any other day before; I'm in my same bed, I look the same, I still have to brush my teeth. Nothing seems to have changed except for a single digit on the calendar.