There's a tree I pass on my walks and cycle rides, a big old oak I call Gabriel (See what I did there?) It's leafless at the moment, of course, but its rough, gnarled trunk stands solid as ever against the cold and the wind and the weather. How many New Year's days has this proud fellow seen, I wonder. A hundred? Two hundred? And how many more has it got?
One can't help but reflect at this time of year, and it's not escaped my notice that I'll turn 65 in 2025 - an old-aged pensioner before they shifted the retirement age. Time is a'tickin', as they say, and I wonder how many New Year's days I will see before the man with the axe comes to get me? How many .. holy shit! Let's make a New Year's resolution!! Less of the schmaltzy sentimentality, O'Neill. Go get a drink. Happy New Year, everybody. I really do hope it's a good one for you ..
