It was truly a spectacular event from my vantage point there overlooking the Yarra River near Princes Bridge, across Flinders Street station... and the people. the fireworks, after a long wait, allowed me to reflect on 2018. Now that year is part of history. What happened will be a source of much thinking as I revisit the developments of my life's journey. Now I am on my own and needing companionship, yet enjoying my new found freedom. How strange is this twist and turn! So 2019 was welcomed amidst a huge crowd and cheers of pure joy and community spirit. The happy banter of people using their phones, cameras, video recorders and tablets. The sheer diversity of ethnicity and cultural make up in dress sense showed what a truly multicultural city we truly have developed over the years. Such a show of a caring and peaceful population alongside our security and events personnel created in me a sense of pride and a feeling of peace. So I looked forward to cheer the 2019 year with other people, whom I did not know, close to me. Yet the pure excitement of our mutual expectation to be a part of a great night was there in between two years: the old one with a goodbye and the new one with so much hope and good wishes for family, friends and all in our city, state, nation and all of humanity in the world and, why not, the universe! To top it all up, in the end on our way home, we were stuck on Princes Bridge with a crawl pace in a well behaved and patient crowd in the well organized walking path that worked to perfection. After we succeeded in exiting this very packed mass of people, we met up with our three lady friends and enjoyed further good wishes for a Happy new Year 2019! A short time together that will last forever in my musings to come! Felice Anno Nuovo
