Looking Back, Looking Ahead, and Finding Your Rhythm in the New Year
The start of a new year always brings a mix of nostalgia and possibility. For individuals in Maryland and DC, this reflection invites you to revisit old memories, reconnect with what matters, and step into the year with intention.
OK, we are halfway into the first month of the new year. How is it going? How are your resolutions holding up?
New beginnings are exciting. Do you remember your first day of “real school”? I remember my mother dressing me up in my Sunday best. Why? I will never know. Given the playground at the local school, I would have thought she would have dug some clothes out of the ragbag. But Sunday best it was. No doubt the teacher was impressed by how cute I looked in my smocked dress and red pigtail braids with fancy bows.
What about your first day on a “real” job? I am not talking about the paper route or the babysitting. I mean a real job where you had to go apply, wait to be called in for an interview, and then wait to see if they would hire you. That job! Remember what you wore?
My first real job was in the “five and dime” store on the main street. I was assigned to the record department. I do not mean the back office. I mean the 45s and albums, with a real record player on the scene. I got to choose what would be playing in that aisle, and that was great fun. I felt very important, and the place was always busy because people loved records.
What I did not realize is that they also loved to shoplift records. Remember, I was a young teen, just legally able to be hired. I was on cloud nine. Many of the customers were not. They managed to slip a 45 into their jacket and walk out the door. Some had large shopping bags to hide the album they longed for. I missed it all.
However, I was very suspicious of one man who seemed to show up in the record department regularly but never bought a thing. In fact, he was there so often that I finally decided to report him. The manager then politely introduced me to the in‑store surveillance guy, who was keeping an eye on shoplifters. That was embarrassing. However, he taught me what to look for in other customers.
Looking back in time is one of the rituals of every new year. We survey the past year, make resolutions for the new year, and reminisce about many past adventures. I hope you take time to do this with friends and family. This is the time to hunt up that high school friend you have lost touch with, but you were such great pals and thought you would be forever. This is the time to pull out the photo albums that have been accumulating dust on the shelves. Those pictures are important and need to be viewed.
This is the time to look ahead and plan that vacation you have been talking about. This is the time to challenge yourself to learn something new or dust off something old you once enjoyed.
A new year is the perfect time to reflect and to dust off something from the past. Enjoy!
Want to explore more about reflection and personal growth? Visit Psychology Today’s insights on the power of reflection and Greater Good’s research on how reflection supports well‑being.
If this new‑year reflection inspires you to reconnect with yourself or set meaningful intentions, therapy can help. Learn more about individual therapy in Maryland and DC or explore therapeutic approaches that support clarity, resilience, and personal growth.
By Dr. Gloria K Vanderhorst
