Andy's Idea of Fun on New Year's Eve

Happy New Year to everyone watching - or everyone not watching for that matter. The necessity people feel to have fun on New Year's Eve irritates me because I'm not good at having it myself.

A little fun goes a long way and very often fun is not what people feel like having anyway. There's just so much fun I want and there are ways I like to spend my time besides having it. For example I'd include sleeping as one of the other ways to enjoy myself.

For as long as I can remember I have been going to the same New Year's Eve party to have fun with the same people. I like seeing those old friends but it's that fun part of New Year's Eve I'm not too keen on. Someone usually sings "Auld Lang Syne" at midnight and I'm never sure what "Auld Lang Syne" means, anyway. People blow horns and yell when the ball drops in Times Square. I don't feel any urge to yell - I feel like going home.

There are always people who are left out of the New Year's Eve fun. I'll bet there are as many people home alone as there are revelers having fun. Whatever a "reveler" is. I just wish I could tell people at home how lucky they are.

They can see New Year's Eve on television, think their own thoughts or not think anything if they don't want to. They can get up and go to the refrigerator and have a Coke instead of champagne if they hate champagne.

I'll bet a lot of people do go to bed at 10:30 and that's what I'd like to do next New Year's Eve, so don't call me at midnight. I'll be fast asleep.

Written by Andy Rooney