News Taffy

Welcome to 2013, my friends. We made it! I’m not sure if 2013 arrived or 2012 threw us out the back door. Either way, we are here, and I am glad to have made in peacefully into January with no drama.

I am a girl who enjoys a celebration – whether it be a birthday or a holiday. However, New Year’s Eve is not one of my favorite holidays. As a little kid, my siblings and I usually spent the night with my grandparents. My memories include camping out in their living room watching various New Years Eve celebrations on television. It was always rather low-key considering the festivities of December. Between my birthday on the eleventh followed by Christmas, December is usually one big party.

But for me, I’d just as soon skip Dec. 31 all together. I could happily go from Dec. 30 to Jan. 1 and never skip a beat. No countdowns and songs about old acquaintances. To me, New Year’s Eve always feels like someone is throwing a wet rag on all of the light, love and festivities of December. I’m gonna’ let you into my closet here for just a moment and shed some light on why I dislike New Year’s Eve so much.

There is a series of past New Year’s celebrations where I started off with great plans, intentions and fabulous dates. At the stroke of midnight one year, I shared the obligatory kiss with my boyfriend. Actually, it was my ex-boyfriend who I kissed, while my current boyfriend saw the whole thing. Not a great way to kick off a new year.

Another year, after having a tad too much to drink, I got into a fight. Typing those words makes me laugh out loud because the thought of me in a physical fight is just silly. I’m more likely to slay someone with words instead of my hands. I’ll blame that boozy brawl on my youth!

There was a New Year’s Eve of near starvation in college, too. I was a majorette in the Razorback band. We were playing Tennessee in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas. I had to weigh-in the day before the game. If I was not at or below my goal weight, I couldn’t twirl at halftime. Basically after our family Christmas dinner in 1989, I stopped eating solid food and did not eat again until after I got off the scale in Dallas on Dec. 31. Happy New Year to my waistline!

What turned out to be one of the most magical New Year’s Eves ever was Dec. 31, 1999. I was working at KAIT, anchoring the coverage of the turn of the century. Remember all of the hoopla about Y2K? My boyfriend proposed shortly after midnight! It was a dream come true. But, as it turns out, it was an on-again, off-again engagement that ultimately never produced a wedding. Yet more bitter sweet memories to add to the Dec. 31s of my life.

Over the last 13 years, I have purposely kept a super low profile on Dec. 31. This year was no exception. The boys and I rang in the new year piled in bed in Jonesboro while watching the ball drop in New York City. There was no kissing the wrong date, no fights, no starvation and no diamond rings! Here’s to peace, love and no crazy drama in your life or mine in 2013.

You can keep up with DJ’s adventures in the Big Apple by following her on Twitter @mrsdjduckworth and on Facebook. DJ is a contributing writer for New York Family magazine. She lives in New York City with her three boys - Mark, Corbin and Leo, woof-woof