Opinions

Growing up in Florida, my sister and I knew the drill when unwanted company dropped by our house in Boynton Beach. The lights went off, and if we were too slow to make it appear no one was home, we would straighten the living room and put away food in the kitchen. Whoever came knocking would be invited inside, but only to the couch. Nothing was offered, for that would imply they were welcome to take their shoes off and consume our goods. Times were hard.

We are at the end of another year and it always brings thoughts of starting fresh and having hope for the future. Most of us have watched the ball drop on New Year’s Eve which officially declares, “out with the old and in with the new.” At midnight, people from all over the world will celebrate the turning of the next page of their lives. Over the years, the “time-ball” has undergone several changes in design, and the most recent was created for the Millennial celebration in the year 2000 by Waterford Crystal. It’s a geodesic sphere, six feet in diameter, and weighing approximately 1,070 pounds. It’s covered with a total of 504 crystal triangles that vary in size and each piece has a special designation: Hope for Love, Peace, Wisdom, Unity, Courage, Healing, etc. The Name of the ball itself ? “The Star of Hope.”