Well, not much remains of that once plump, juicy turkey, does it? Fridges and larders are probably looking a lot emptier now. Eggnog has disappeared, along with stuffing and those scrumptious apple and mince pies. Boxes that contained chocolate liqueurs and other treats have been tossed into garbage bags.
Yes, Christmas is over and we hope everyone spent quality time with family and friends. We also hope the New Year’s celebrations lived up to expectations, whether spent in the city or in Barrhead.
With 2013 finally here, and the holidays behind us, now is the season for another grand tradition – making New Year’s resolutions. Many, of course, will resolve to improve themselves, to learn a foreign language, to save money or to lose weight by going to a gym and working out regularly in self-imposed penance for the excesses of Christmas. Some will succeed, some will become discouraged after a few token attempts.
Nothing very surprising about this: resolutions tend to be a humorous cycle of delusion and broken promises. This should not be a cause for self-recrimination, since even a false start along a path paved by noble aspirations is better than no start at all.
And yet … and yet, 2013 is a year when Barrhead cannot afford to let one New Year resolution slide. There can be no excuses, no lapse into ennui and lethargy, no false starts.
That resolution is for the community – and that means everyone from householders, shopkeepers to town leaders – to do its utmost to make the Alberta 55-plus Summer Games a tremendous triumph.
As everyone should know, the July 25-28 event is being jointly staged by Barrhead and Westlock, two friendly rivals now joined in unity of purpose.
It is hard to think of a more prestigious and exciting occasion in Barrhead’s recent history.
So much is riding on success: the tourism and business spin-offs following a massive influx of visitors to the area could be significant and far-reaching.
A successful games would be a platform for further great enterprises, giving us the confidence to believe anything is possible.
It is essential, therefore, that Barrhead looks in pristine condition when people from all over the province fill our hotels, eat at our restaurants, spend money at local stores and look over our facilities.
We want visitors to enjoy the delightful hub that is Main Street and admire the pretty, litter-free streets, the well-tended lawns, the parks glowing with beautiful flowers.
We want people to be amazed that such a small, friendly community could be blessed with so much. We want visitors to be so impressed that they ask themselves: Why don’t we relocate to Barrhead? Why don’t we live a rural dream?
So as we tidy away the debris of Christmas and New Year celebrations, we must collectively refocus on what should prove – no, will prove – a fantastic summer.
The games clock is ticking remorselessly. To some the sound will be like an echo of their beating heart; it will be edged with trepidation. That is understandable. To all it should be a stimulus to even greater speed. To an increased sense of urgency. To a desire to see a framework of ideas come together.
So far the 55-plus summer games organizers have done a terrific job in laying the groundwork.
There is every reason to be confident that the games will be a huge success, that our New Year’s resolution will be kept.
