by Cdr. Bud Slabbaert
It is the season for it. It can show the difference between the message of a real Leader and the work of a ghostwriter. In most cases, you wouldn’t even know, because of the lack of unique vibrant, and fiery expressions that characterize the Leader in question. A New Year’s speech should bring the audience to a new next level. They seldom do.
What is missing in all these New Year’s messages? They should be planned like a firework show. Start with Saturn Sky Rocket for grabbing the audience attention, then on to Crazy Palm Fountains for the awe-effect, then a mellower with Strobing Thunder which offers a glittering effect, then a few bang mortars with Silverados, then a quieter with Dream Weaver and some Ground Spinners, and ending with some unexpected Paradise Heaven flareups.
Unfortunately, many New Year’s addresses are like smoke bombs that are not designed to explode but rather make a humble sound when being ignited and then release bright white smoke, which is the color of innocence, and they often serve as smoke screens.
The Word of the Year is ‘Resilience’. In fact, it is the trendy word for every occasion in every year. Buoyancy and tenacity are rarely used. Bullheadedness is never used although it could give a message a more unique flair. Without a doubt, the word Pandemic will be mentioned many times as if we cannot get enough of it. Most of the message will be about how encouraging the last months of the previous year were and how promising the next will be. Substantiating the promises is seldom done because much of it would be no more than intelligent guessing. Let alone that sweeping activities or empyrean events will be included in the address.
Sigh….. And then there will be so many of these proclamations in one week, that it is almost like torture to read them all and therefore, assumably most people don’t. They are more interested in celebrating rather than reading. Why not do something different? How about publishing it in the week of the Three Kings’ Day when there is no overflow of the manifesto. It commemorates the Three Wise Men bringing gold, incense, and myrrh which seems more substantial than what the average New Year’s messages promise to bring. Isn’t a Leader considered to be a wise man who should bring more than that to his constituents?
By the way. You may not be aware of it, but the week before year’s end is the official international week of the ghostwriters. In the second week into the New Year, the Ghostwriter of the Year Award should be presented. But that festive celebration won’t happen because ghostwriting is a collaboration between leaders and ghostwriters whereby the latter don't get credit for the texting and are bound by a non-disclosure agreement.
New Year’s Message? Why not just say Happy New Year to yo’all and clink for a drink?
