This New Year’s Eve we drove, as we had done several times in the past, to see the fireworks in San Francisco . As we got off the freeway and headed towards the Ferry Building, we noticed that there was a lot more traffic on The Embarcadero Street than we had seen in prior years. There were a lot more people along the Bay and more of them were arriving by the minute. As the traffic came to a halt, we realized that if we stayed on The Embarcadero, we would have to watch the fireworks through the windshield of our car. We got off The Embarcadero, fought our way around the crowds and long lines in front of parking lots, and parked below one of the Embarcadero Center buildings ten minutes before the end of 2011. We were in front of the Ferry Building a few seconds before the first rocket was fired.

The fireworks were spectacular. People cheered each rocket and each explosion. They were happy and excited as if the recession, the financial crisis, and the political turmoil went away with 2011, and that 2012 would be the greatest year ever for everyone. With such happiness, excitement, and optimism in the air, it might just be so.

Cheers!