The countdown to 2000 is finally over. I ask myself, "where do we go from here?" We had our celebration and we stand victorious. I must admit, THE NEW MILLENNIUM, was beginning to strike fear into my heart. With all the talk of gloom and doom I was weakening my strong beliefs that all was well. I encountered it on the tv, radio, and even in the funny papers. Most of all what would I do without my friend the computer?

I am sure each of us have had to deal with the 'hoopla' of Y2K in our own way. The subject of Y2K brought with it as much discussion and controversy as does religion or politics!

"OK," I say, " It's now 2000,what now?" Will we continue to fear all year or can we put the demons to bed? I find myself hoping that we all have a good laugh and look forward.

I made a list of "things to think about". I think it will be fun just saying the date and writing it in my checkbook. It is hard enough to change the year each January! So many items will be collected and saved for future generations. All those Millennium canisters buried underground! And, what about the jobs that will be influenced by the year 2000.

The one that comes to mind would be a stone carver. Can you imagine how many tombstones have to be re-dated? All the ones that are unused from the 1900's.

1900's. " WOW!" I think to myself, "that seems ancient where in reality that was as early as just this side of midnight or as old as the last Millennium!" I can say I was born in the 1900's. Hmmmm.ponder that!

If I had a magical crystal ball or could write a fantasy novel, I would be hard pressed to experience, either real or imagined, what the next 1000 years would produce. We will possibly live on another planet and I pray there is a cure for cancer and world hunger is non existent.

In my opinion, the miracles that have evolved the past 1000 years will never be rivaled in the new Millennium. We have made mistakes in the past centuries but look at what we got right!

Our past cannot be changed, only learned from. As I look forward to the year 2000 or "The New Millennium" I am going to strive to close my mind to the negative forces and all the things that 'could' happen. I will continue to love deeply and I will share my visions of HOPE for the coming Millennium.