2014!

Another new year.  Why do they come so fast?  Time must slow down.  2013 was a remarkable year like every other, but it was also a time for reflection. 

Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time turned 15 on November 23rd (in the US anyway).  It's my second favorite Zelda game next to Majora's Mask, its sequel.  Time after time I return to the music of Ocarina and feel like I'm a teenager all over again.  I first played the game in summer 1999 after my brother rented it from a now-closed video store.  The game became an addiction until I beat it a few months later.  1999 was when I started high school and also when my grandmother died.  Ocarina reminds me of that bittersweet year, The Matrix and all.

Some other game birthdays arose in 2013.  Mario Bros. turned 30.  Mega Man 2 turned 25 on Christmas Eve.  MM2 is another amazing game that reminds me of my elementary school years.  A friend gave me his old NES system in fifth grade and I loved it, even though the system was a decade-old at the time.  I have always been behind the times with technology, with the exception of GameCube, which I bought on its release day.

I think the best we can do each year is improve our finances, health, and relationships with others.  There's nothing miraculous or earth-shattering in such modest goals, but they make a difference.  Life also has a way of surprising us as well.

I am glad to see that the country is slowly recovering from the recession of 2007, but we have a long way to go.  There is so much to be done that we can never hope to do it all in a lifetime.  That shouldn't stop us from trying, though.  Until next time...