With the refrains of Auld Lang Syne still fresh, political cartoons will continue a tradition of depicting a sash-wearing Baby New Year morphing into a haggard Father Time over the course of 365 days, 52 weeks, or 12 months. The days are long but the years are short.

The days are long but the years are short. What does that mean? A New Yorker by way of Kansas City, Missouri named Gretchen Rubin (no relation) is credited with this inspiring quote. Wiki says Rubin studies and writes on topics like habits, happiness, and human nature. Interesting, but the quote? It first appeared in Rubin’s 2009 book, The Happiness Project, subtitled, Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun. “Happiness” spent two years on the New York Times bestseller list and millions of copies have been sold.

The days are long but the years are short. When writing the book, Rubin created a short story she turned into a one-minute video called The Years Are Short. It’s easily found and viewed on the web. Rubin’s revelation began when she rode a city bus with her young daughter on their way to school. Sometimes Rubin tugged her daughter to the bus stop. Most times it was an impatient ride. Meanwhile, her daughter found wonderment in the treasures of The Big City. One morning with great excitement the daughter pointed out an ordinary dog on a leash and Rubin discovered “It”. The bus ride was parenthood and those experiences helped comprise the childhood of her daughter. It was life itself. Rubin determined that in the not-too-distant-future, they’d no longer ride the bus. She made a point to think, “Thank goodness, another chance to ride the bus.” Fast forward and the two began walking to school. Years later, both recalled the rides. “I loved that bus,” said the daughter. “So did I,” Rubin said. With that, “The days are long, but the years are short” was born.

In a blink, infants become teenagers and then young adults. Coulda-woulda-shoulda resolutions are forgotten and fall by the wayside. Life happens, all within the reality of long days and short years.

Through her writing, Rubin is quoted extensively. They have the same relevance on January 1st as they do on December 31st. Many stand out:
-“What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.”
-“Work harder to appreciate your ordinary day.”
-“I can DO ANYTHING I want, but I can’t DO EVERYTHING I want.”
-“Never start a sentence with the words, ‘No offense.’”
-“One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make other people happy. One of the best ways to make other people happy is to be happy yourself.”
-“The things that go wrong often make the best memories.”

Even in Wisconsin’s St. Croix Valley, there are still 12 months, 52 weeks, and 365 days in a year. The days are long but the years are short. Make the most of them. Happy 2023.

Before the wishbone from the Thanksgiving Bird was pulled in two, the National Retail Federation (NRF) released its forecast of record breaking holiday spending in America this season, to the tune of $942.6 – $960.4 billion. NRF said this year’s sales increase could be between six and eight percent over 2021’s $889.3 billion, soon to be just another record breaking number. What’s a couple of percentage points between hardy shoppers when billions are at stake? For starters, billions are at stake, and sometimes the thin margin is the subtle difference between retailers realizing a good year or great one.

NRF noted consumers (“us”) were feeling the pressure of inflation and higher prices in this shopping season. Alas, the NRF concluded consumers (“us”) remained resilient and continued to engage in commerce (“spending”). Thanks for the pep talk, NRF.

Crowded main streets, bistros, and stores? Slow broadband service? You-we-us (“consumers”) were likely shopping after Thanksgiving, mano-a-mano style. NRF predicted as many as 180 million Americans shopped during a five-day span between Thanksgiving and Cyber Monday. Keep in mind the U.S. population is around 332 million.

If post-Thanksgiving shopping days were reindeers, the Jolly Old Man would shout out, “On Blackie (Black Friday), now Tiny (Small Business Saturday), and onward Cybie (Cyber Monday)!” Those three reindeers are like the center and two guards of an offensive line in football. They pave the way for consumers and shoppers (“us”) to make big plays in electronics, sporting goods, or toy aisles. News outlets reported a record $9.12 billion was spent online during Black Friday (online!). Foot traffic at brick and mortar Big Box stores was reportedly down, leading one 70-something male shopper to proclaim, “If the product ain’t online, I ain’t buying it.” Analytics from Small Business Saturday in the U.S. estimated local spending at $17.9 billion. Cyber Monday racked up a reported $11.3 billion in sales. The beat, with a “b” for billions, goes on.

Intelligence from the NRF says shoppers (“us”) plan to spend around $833 on gifts and holiday items, which is in line with the average over the last ten years. A competing forecast from PricewaterhouseCoopers put the average spending at $1,430 for gifts, travel, and entertainment. PwC’s estimate is up 20 percent from the dark days of 2020 and more than 10 percent over 2019 spending.

Cash, credit, debit, or ‘other’? In 2015, PwC first inquired about consumer payment methods. Surprise! Cash was the most popular method, and 80 percent of polled consumers ranked it among their top three choices. So-called contactless payment options are the most popular in today’s shopping circles. The top three preferred methods are debit cards at 60 percent, credit cards at 53 percent, and cash, holding its own, also at 53 percent. The 70-something hipster may be on the leading edge of other methods, including Apple Pay/Android Pay at 19 percent, other mobile payments at 16 percent, and “buy now, pay later platforms” (hint: the old hipster says pay later platforms are options using downloaded app’s).

Enjoy the hectic days ahead. Whether it’s a new hoodie, a coffee card, holiday travel, jewelry, or electronics, here’s to a memory-filled holiday season in Wisconsin’s St. Croix Valley. We’ll do it again in 11 months.