. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . New Years Story, 2000 . . . . . . . .
First, thanks to all for the warm heartfelt wishes. Happy 2000!!
We did the town. . . figuring it better to celebrate with your teenagers than without them. . . as such there were no problems. . .<g>
I guess some folks had reservations years in advance for New Years eve. I know the prices were obscene.. .with minimum stays at the hotels where rates are jacked for the millenium celebration, etc. But we were unsure whether or not we would have visitors or be out of town over this weekend . . . and I also had to be sure that my wife could handle the trip, having been ill of late. So at 2PM on New Years Eve I am calling the nicest hotel in downtown Nashville to see if they have rooms. You'd have thought I was nuts.
My wife's kids love it when I take them to fancy hotels. . .they have come a very long way in their short lives. Anyway, I called the tallest hotel in Nashville, hoping to give the kids a night out on the town from the pinnacle of the city. Now I knew that nearly every hotel in Nashville was booked solid with wait lists. The front desk manager answered and something must have just come over him. . because he first tells me they are booked up solid. . . then asks my name. . .as if that has anything to do with anything. . . and after putting me on hold for 20 seconds comes back and says. . .not only does he have room for me, but he is giving me the highest hotel room in Nashville, exactly as I requested - overlooking the city and the river. . . and he is cutting the rate of the room by 30 percent. . . I never even asked for a discount.
So my all-dressed-up-and-no-place-to-party group was off for a night on the town. As it turns out, Nashville had the least celebration of all the cities in the world. . .on TV I saw extravaganzas in Newfoundland and Singapore and even Haiti that were terrific. . . .but Music City was as quiet as ever. . . no outdoor concerts. . .no bands in the streets. . . like you find each time you turn a corner every other day. . .no fireworks. . .no ball drop. . . not even somebody on a megaphone counting down the seconds until midnight. Very odd. But the streets we strolled were packed like Spring Break in Daytona Beach . . and we squeaked out a very fun evening for all.
Dinner was fine as restaurants put out their best foot to impress. Youngest boy requested a cab ride around town. . .that's easy enough to grant, I thought. . . he sat in the front of one of those minivan type cabs. . where you see nothing but road out the front windshield. . . and of course our cab driver was in a race to see if he could shave 10ths of seconds off the fastest time from point A to point B. . . as he swerved through traffic. . .forced crosswalkers to become crossrunners. . .and squeezed through alley ways that looked more like sidewalks with zero regard for life or limb. . . bringing new definition to the term tailgate. . .if you can see the license plate of the car in front of you then you aren't doing it. . .
To this driver, nothing on earth mattered more than speed of destination. . .as the large LCD graphical display on the dash danced to the pounding pulse of the disco the driver grooved to as he drove . . . we felt like a characters in a bad movie.
We worked our stomachs back down our necks. . and as we tumbled out the side door of the van and into the arms of our doorman. . .you could hear the words of the youngest boy. . . "let's do it again" . . . .like we should just have our hands stamped so that we can ride the taxis all night long.
Anyway. . . we toasted the year from the tip top of Nashville, looking out at the brilliant skyline from our room. . .we could see the very old capital building to the north and the new Arena where the Predators play to our South. . .and looking down on the bumper to bumper traffic below. . .the cars looked like ants with tailights. . all lined up for a picnic. . . except for one that is weaving among them at a very high rate of speed. . . <G> . . . with no regard for life or limb.
And as the corks popped and the horns blew and the people screamed out in joy. . . I had a thought. . .
. . . . IDC has B-CDMA technology, whereas QCOM only has CDMA. . . . . .
. . . . NO! I'm just kidding. . . .
The thought was this. . . .
. . . .after seeing the celebrations from around the world, covered exceptionally well by PBS [better than CNN and ABC, IMO] . . . it dawned on me that from the very first celebrations in the islands of the South Pacific. . .to Auckland, to Tokyo, to Singapore, to Hong Kong, to Sydney, to Shanghai, to Bangkok, to New Delhi, to Dar Es Salaam, to St. Petersburg, to Moscow, to Bethlehem, to Jerusalem, to Capetown, to Athens, to Rome, to Egypt, to Berlin, to Vienna, to Paris [still reeling from last weeks terrible windstorm that uprooted 400 year old trees], to London, to Newfoundland, to Rio De Janiero, to New York, to Miami, to Toronto, to Chicago, to Dallas, to Calgary, to Denver, to Las Vegas, to Phoenix, to Seattle, to Los Angeles, to San Francisco, to Anchorage, to Honolulu,. . . .
. . . . . . . . . . .not a single rain shower. . . . no snowstorms. . . not even flurries. . . .no wind. . .no nothing. . . .
. . .and this is the amazing part. . . . as I looked at weather across most of the globe. . .there were hardly even any clouds. . . .just beautiful clear skies of varying degrees. January 1 and no weather for one whole day. It was even more interesting that around 2am some tiny clouds showed up and by morning, Nashville was overcast once more. I remembered being snowed in at Cleveland airport last year at this time. . .in the largest snowstorm in history in those parts.
But for a day, the globe had perfectly clear weather . . . as though the unity of celebrations of life and celebrations of the number of years counted since Christ's birth were such an important praise to God, that he wished there to be no obstacles between the voices of the people and his throne. . . no clouding of those cheers of joy that are heard far too infrequently. . . and never united.
And it reminded me that each time we delight in His creation, we are giving praise. Each time we marvel at his works, we are giving praise.
Now imagine how this must have moved the very heart of God. . . when for an entire day, every corner of the globe. . . Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Atheists and Agnostics collectively as though they were the musical sections of a brilliantly conceived orchestra, ceased their daily chores and took a Sabbath day to celebrate life.
It was truly touching to see the many ways in which humans praise their "higher power". . .regardless of how their views may differ. . . their SPIRIT sings out. . . and it is the SPIRIT of the person that God hears most clearly.
In the history of the world, there has NEVER been an event that was so UNANIMOUS, in that every nation and every people on the planet joined together in celebrating.
The impact of such an event may not be realized for many years into the future. . . .Russian and American military sat side by side at NORAD in constant communication through the night with Moscow and Washington. . . to assure one another that there was no threat of accidental missile firing. The Dalai Lama stated onlinve television that due to the many technological and scientific findings that have been proven without a doubt, the buddhist religion must re-think its views of life, much the same as Catholics did several decades ago. . . .
There are some that would say, "hogwash. . . it was just a date change and nothing more." But I say, give it 10 years and tell me that the unity shown by all the nations, races and religions of the earth on a single night did not change forever the way we as a people view ourselves.
The world was changed. Think about it. For a single night, Muslims celebrated alongside Jews. . . Christians celebrated alongside Hindus. . . .such happenings do not occur without some fallout. It was truly glorious.
In my opinion, the entire world became a little sweeter and a whole lot closer in just one night of united celebration. I cannot say that we will ever understand the significance of the change, nor can I predict that we will not return to the hatred and prejudice that has kept us divided for milleniums.
But my personal belief is that for one night, like no other in the history of the world. . .the people of this planet in beautifully orchestrated harmony touched the heart of God.
Rande Is |
