I’ve never thought before about how many times the year “begins” for me.

Of course there is January 1st.  But there is also my birthday, April 24th (the day snow is “guaranteed” to be gone from most usable surfaces), that magical moment in pre-spring when I feel the increase in daily light that makes the impossible happen.

There is also the arrival of summer and it’s continual light followed by the beginning of the school year (Where I’ve begun buying new calendars).

But this beginning is the beginning I share with my whole culture, and it is a different kind of beginning, one where everyone seems ready to self-analyze, and maybe even try something new.

In this way I aught to feel closer and more in tune with my fellow humans than at any other time in the year.

Though, one of the things I learned this year is that similarities shouldn’t be presumed upon to function oppositely of disagreements.

That is, just because disagreements automatically strain a relationship that doesn’t mean similarities will create warm-fuzzies.  (I have to be reminded of this, perhaps because I so rarely feel similar to anyone.)  There are those who gather a sense of identity in their perceived uniqueness, and so when I (in an effort to highlight similarity) essentially point-out how un-unique they are, they feel threatened.

And, honestly, I understand the feeling perfectly.  I have to fight the almost-jealousy myself at times, but it’s good for me (and good for them if they’ll let it be) to be reminded that none of us is as unique as we think we are.  After all, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” It get’s me away a little from a false or inaccurate sense of self-value.

Closer to the rest of humanity because analysis and new beginnings are the places I so often live.  I’m not so unique. ;)