Today Is the First
The “Every Day Is New Year’s Day” theme is not wrung out yet. Far from it. Can this be expressed in another way? Absolutely! How about, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life!” Could there be a more hackneyed, corny expression? Very probably, and if there is, it will be located, and eventually displayed here.
Now, a fact about life on Earth. At any moment, a long-familiar concept might recrudesce and suddenly, within days, be on everyone’s lips. The verbiage could undergo a slight change. An old saying that has worked perfectly for centuries might, after all that time, be expressed in a new way that captures the imagination of people, sometimes even in different countries and of different ages and genders.
A highly respected public figure might express a thought in a new way, or even in a familiar old way, and perform a type of magic that makes the concept suddenly sound brand-new and golden. This is because many time-worn clichés are actually genuine capital-letter Universal Truths, in disguise.
In the sense of containing the potential to totally start over, any day at all can absolutely be the first day of the rest of your life, but not just in the obvious time-related sense. Is this theme becoming a bit repetitive? Certainly, and for an excellent reason: The theme is worth repeating. It could be the most meaningful sentence that a person has ever heard, or ever will hear.
Let’s digress, to clarify matters for anyone who has been raised on glowing electricity-powered screens, who has never known the pleasure of learning something from the cold, hard surface of a classroom blackboard. This was a piece of slate, neatly framed and affixed to the front wall, on which the instructor could write with a piece of white chalk. Or sometimes the chalkboard would be green, but basically the same deal. Sometimes the chalk would instead be brightly colored, but the same principles applied.
On a blackboard, with human assistance, literally anything could be made to appear. A series of words, short or long, quoted or original… a mathematical equation… a chart… a drawing of anything at all… the truest words ever spoken…
Furthermore, anyone capable of grasping that stick of chalk could make marks on the blackboard. The regular teacher, or a visiting specialist. Any student could go up front and add something. The school’s principal, or even a member of the Board of Education, could drop in and write a message on the blackboard. What was already there could be amended. Some words could be eradicated, and more relevant ones attached. It was easy to write, easy to erase… Or easy, if appropriate, to leave that important message in place right there, day after day.
A truly egalitarian medium, the blackboard could also be erased by anyone, and if no official rectangular eraser was available, the person could use a piece of clothing, a dish towel, or any old rag. The blackboard supported tradition, and also rewarded innovation and originality.
This artifact, the now-displaced symbol of school itself, is responsible for another precious cliché. To make its point, the post of one week ago ended with a quotation from the long-sober Craig Ferguson.
The Ferguson quotation surpasses it in the cliché sweepstakes. Ready?
I don’t have a drinking problem. I have a thinking problem.
Anyone, and that includes you and me, on any day of the week, can pick up that metaphorical piece of chalk and metaphorically write on our metaphorical blackboard a totally supportable life plan.
In summation: Today Is the First
The “Every Day Is New Year’s Day” theme is not wrung out yet. Far from it. Can this be expressed in another way? Absolutely! How about, “Today is the first day of the rest of your life!” Could there be a more hackneyed, corny expression? Very probably, and if there is, it will be located, and eventually displayed here.
Now, a fact about life on Earth. At any moment, a long-familiar concept might recrudesce and suddenly, within days, be on everyone’s lips. The verbiage could undergo a slight change. An old saying that has worked perfectly for centuries might, after all that time, be expressed in a new way that captures the imagination of people, sometimes even in different countries and of different ages and genders.
A highly respected public figure might express a thought in a new way, or even in a familiar old way, and perform a type of magic that makes the concept suddenly sound brand-new and golden. This is because many time-worn clichés are actually genuine capital-letter Universal Truths, in disguise.
In the sense of containing the potential to totally start over, any day at all can absolutely be the first day of the rest of your life, but not just in the obvious time-related sense. Is this theme becoming a bit repetitive? Certainly, and for an excellent reason: The theme is worth repeating. It could be the most meaningful sentence that a person has ever heard, or ever will hear.
Let’s digress, to clarify matters for anyone who has been raised on glowing electricity-powered screens, who has never known the pleasure of learning something from the cold, hard surface of a classroom blackboard. This was a piece of slate, neatly framed and affixed to the front wall, on which the instructor could write with a piece of white chalk. Or sometimes the chalkboard would be green, but basically the same deal. Sometimes the chalk would instead be brightly colored, but the same principles applied.
On a blackboard, with human assistance, literally anything could be made to appear. A series of words, short or long, quoted or original… A mathematical equation… A chart… A drawing of anything at all… The truest words ever spoken…
Furthermore, anyone capable of grasping that stick of chalk could make marks on the blackboard. The regular teacher, or a visiting specialist. Any student could go up front and add something. The school’s principal, or even a member of the Board of Education, could drop in and write a message on the blackboard. What was already there could be amended. Some words could be eradicated, and more relevant ones attached. It was easy to write, easy to erase… Or easy, if appropriate, to leave that important message in place right there, day after day.
A truly egalitarian medium, the blackboard could also be erased by anyone, and if no official rectangular eraser was available, the person could use a piece of clothing, a dish towel, or any old rag. The blackboard supported tradition, and also rewarded innovation and originality.
This artifact, the now-displaced symbol of school itself, is responsible for another precious cliché. To make its point, the post of one week ago ended with a quotation from the long-sober Craig Ferguson, and today’s Craig Ferguson 2007 sobriety monologue.
Anyone, and that includes you and me, on any day of the week, can pick up that metaphorical piece of chalk and metaphorically write on our metaphorical blackboard a totally supportable life plan.
In summation:
- One of the worst things a person can do in life, ever, is lie to herself or himself.
- One subject about which a person is most likely to lie is his or her favorite habit.
- One lie a person is most apt to tell herself/himself is, “I will quit this habit tomorrow/next week/next month/when the New Year rolls around.”
- Which is why it’s a darn good thing that, in actual fact, each and every day marks the start of a New Year, upon which we can choose to start all over again.
Written by Pat Hartman. First published July 2, 2026.
