Happy New Year 2010!

 ’Happy New Year 2010!’ is the phrase of choice today around the world. Happy New Year 2010 wishes were exchanged in Times Square, and everywhere else in America several hours ago. Of course by now, some countries have already gotten New Years Day behind them, and are into day 2 of the New Happy New Year 2010! Year. For only a few more days, ‘Happy New Year 2010!’ will be wished throughout the world, before the actual work of the new year gets started. Every year, people talk about how each January 1 is a fresh start, and a chance to make up for the mistakes of the past year. By February 1, plenty of new mistakes may be made instead, and the promise of a Happy New Year 2010 may seem too daunting. As soon as the end of this weekend, Americans will be back to work, and back to worrying about the future. The chances for a Happy New Year 2010 are up in the air, both for the nation and for individuals. Since the midterm elections are on the way, brand new depths of mudslinging should arrive with it. With the health care debate ending soon, new bitter political debates are set to take the spotlight. And if 2010 is like 2009, we will be saying goodbye to a lot of famous people. Some with hopes for a Happy New Year 2010 will have their fate determined soon enough. College football fans, mainly from Texas and Alabama, will have their year made or broken by next week. Many NFL fans enter the new year with Super Bowl hopes, but only two fanbases will have high hopes left by next month. Fans of Lost only have one more month to wait until the final season, as 2010 will be historic or insanely disappointing to them – or maybe both. And Hollywood’s finest will see if their best efforts in 2009 got them some golden rewards in 2010, when the Oscars arrive in March. Some measure the success of a new year just by making it to the next one, and having all their loved ones still there with them. Others measure it by money and professional success – though in this recession, those hopes may need to be more modest. More committed citizens pin their hopes on the state of the nation – though at least half of them are disappointed by the end.