It
was New Year’s Eve and the clock was nearing midnight. Around me, excited party goers were
engrossed in the festivities. A
large group was excitedly playing a board game, laughing louder and louder with
each move. In one corner of the
room, a quartet of people was deep in conversation, largely oblivious to the
others around them. In another
corner, a duo sat, animatedly engaged in their own discussion. I, it seemed, was the only one who
noticed the approaching New Year.
When midnight rolled around, I looked at my watch and
then at the group around me.
Nothing had changed. The
group continued with their game.
The quartet seemed even more intent in their discussion. The duo in the corner did not so much
as pause their conversation.
Because a new year had indeed begun . . .on the east coast. But, the old year still had 3 more
hours, at this party on the west coast.
In hindsight, we should have known something was not right. On our way home from an annual vacation in southwest Florida, we stopped in Orlando. Our plan was to spend a day at the area’s newest theme park, Universal Studios. The park had only been open a few weeks when we arrived. My family and I were excited to be among its first visitors. My parents, siblings, and I arrived just as the park was opening. We purchased our tickets and stood in line, waiting to enter the park. As we made our way through the gates, a park employee handed each of us something that looked like an index card. Excited to get to the rides, we only glanced at the cards, not really taking in what we were holding. It was not until we were in line for the first ride that anyone in my family really examined the cards we all held in our hands. A bright shade of blue, the front of each card was marked with the Universal Studios logo. On the reverse, alongside several lines of fine p...
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