Soon all of the Christmas decorations will be coming down and the stage will be set for another New Year in the Finger Lakes. But as the New Year approaches, one has to ask the question, “who sets the stage?” I am reminded of the words of a play that I learned in English class when I was in High School:
“All the world is a stage, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts,..” These were the words of William Shakespeare in the play, “As You Like It.” (click here)
We humans like to think that we are the directors of our own lives, controlling who comes onto our stage and directing the events that occur in our daily lives. And at the end of each year, we put together a list of goals and objectives that we think we need to accomplish in the New Year. But by the end of January, the list is forgotten and we move on, playing the roles that have been given to us. Shakespeare had it right: we are merely players with many roles to play in a play called “Our Earthly Life.” And with that piece of sage advice, I wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
James R. Bupp
