“Christmas in July” began in Australia so residents in the Southern Hemisphere could enjoy holiday traditions such as sleigh rides and singing carols which included lyrics such as “one-horse open sleigh” and “chestnuts roasting on an open fire.”  To their credit, many Christian organizations around the world picked up on this made-up occasion as a way of reminding all of us the “season of giving” should not be limited to Yuletide.

I’d like to start another tradition, “New Year in February.”  Or when appropriate New Year in any month other than December.  What is it about the New Year?  It is a time in which we look back at the previous twelve months and reflect on major personal and public events which shaped our lives.  And, in this era of superlatives, we seek to sort out and prioritize those people or occasions which had the greatest impact.  One of the most time-honored (pun intended) is the annual unveiling of the “Person of the Year” by Time Magazine.

One thing is clear from the announcement of last year’s winner, “The Silence Breakers.”  Timing matters.  If the Time editorial board had voted any time before October 10, 2017, the date New Yorker Magazine exposed Harvey Weinstein as a sexual predator which became the catalyst for the #metoo movement, the eventual choice would likely have been one of the other candidates on the short list such as Kim Jung Un or The Dreamers.  Barring any late-breaking, earth shattering news or revelations my money is still on Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller III being selected as the 2018 recipient.

Which is why, even at this early juncture of the solar cycle, we need to recognize a Person of the Year.  Therefore, I offer the following on behalf of Time Magazine.

Just as The Silence Breakers led a cultural sea change in which sexual harassment and abuse would not longer be tolerated, the survivors of the deadly assault on the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School likewise are teaching us a important lesson.  When our representative form of government (read Congress, state legislatures, governors and the president) fails to address the will of the people, democracy–the voice of the people–still carries the day.  From the mouth of babes.

For what it’s worth.
Dr. ESP