Facing a new year…

A friend of mine asked me to help her brainstorm for the upcoming New Year’s Eve celebration she holds in her city every year.  She said with all the economic news, it was hard to come up with something positive and hopeful as a theme.  We tossed around so many ideas…

How about a candle theme? That’s hopeful.  Sort of “Candle in the Wind,” y’know?  New Year Eye Opening Eve? New Year Watch Out for Big Brother Eve?  How do we communicate a sense of hopefulness when the news around us is so terribly bleak?  “Freedom: The Final Years” and “Change: Too little too late” and “New Year’s Gimme Some”  Apparently the Chinese say the new year will be the year of the Ox…but I think it’s more likely gonna be the year of a lotta bull.

Out of the mysts of hilarity came the theme: 2009: Year of the Open Hand….