Episode IV

Episode IV: A new hope, was how the Star Wars epic journey began. Not Episode I, which will come much later on, but Episode IV. And as the opening intro-credits rolled out into the infinite nothingness of space, the camera panned to an empire battle cruiser chasing after a small rebel ship. We are, without any warning, right smack in the middle of it.

The genius that George Lucas was, Star Wars was a recognition that life's real stories rarely begins neatly with a slow opening where the plot is set-up and the main characters introduced.

This is where we find ourselves entering a new decade, with renewed hope. For we have, by way of ballot, already done the hard part.

Daunting tasks still lay ahead of us, of course. The old empire still casts a mighty dark shadow and the war not yet won. And we can not, as the Jedi Master Yoda would put it, just try. For in real life, you do or you do not, there is no try.

Here's to new beginnings. To new hopes. To the new decade. Happy new year everyone!