The excitement and anticipation of the year to come --- and the wistful memories of years gone by

2019 will be upon us in just a matter of days. While many look forward to a brand New Year, others of us think back to the ones that have passed.

New Year's Eve is a time for both sensations; the excitement and anticipation of the year to come, and the wistful memories of years gone by.

Maybe it's a natural part of aging, but as the New Year approaches my heart and thoughts are much more in the past than in the future.

The past cannot be changed or relived in any real sense, of course, but if I were magically granted a few wishes, I might start with these.

I wish my wife Jane could have had the chance to read all the books she never got around to reading.

I wish we could have had a little more time traveling and experiencing new adventures together.

I wish people had the variety of stores and merchandise that were available to us years ago before the advent of big chains and the Internet.

I wish we Americans were still a melting pot and still had the wonderful common culture we once shared before civics and American history were driven out of our schools and replaced by revisionist history, multiculturalism, and politically correct nonsense.

I wish more kids could experience growing up with a loving father and mother in the home. Kids from one-parent households just don't have the same advantages.

I wish our colleges and universities had a better balance of conservative and liberal thinking and teaching.

I wish academia would teach students to be independent responsible adults instead of narcissistic whining babies.

I wish our media had a better balance of conservative and liberal reporting. A fair press would be refreshing and much healthier for our society in general.

I wish the entertainment industry got back to creating non-political entertainment. We don't need messages in the movies, at the theater, on television shows, or in print.

I wish we could figure out a way to eliminate the ongoing acceptance of vulgarity in our society.

With each succeeding year it just gets worse and worse. Why is that? Who really wants that and how does that make us a better people?

I wish our politicians would use common sense and work to rid our city streets of the "homeless."

The drug addicts, alcoholics and mentally disturbed should be picked up off the street and put into appropriate hospitals and treated (whether they want to be or not). Homeless illegal aliens should be sent home.

Any homeless person who is mentally and physically able to work should be working.

If a homeless person does have a job, then he or she needs to relocate to a less expensive area where they can find affordable housing. If you can't afford to live in Los Angeles, you shouldn't be here. There is no reason why this country should have half a million people living on the streets.

I wish people would stop relying on electronic devices so much, especially texting and so-called social media, which in reality is anti-social because it keeps people from speaking directly to one another in a human way.

I'd rather hear a voice than read poorly spelled texts.

I wish more people could appreciate the blessings they have instead of joining the grievance community of whiners. I wish I had kept all my toys and other personal stuff from my childhood. Not for any monetary value, but just because I miss having them around.

I wish I could take back anything I ever did or said that caused my loved ones or friends any hurt or discomfort.

I wish I had a few more years with my dad. I miss his advice and guidance. I'd give anything to be able to sit down and talk things over with him now.

There was so much that went unsaid years ago.

I wish I were smarter about personal finances and investments when I was younger and working.

I wish I had more patience, prudence, and self-restraint built into my DNA.

Happy New Year!

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JWR contributor Greg Crosby, former creative head for Walt Disney publications, has written thousands of comics, hundreds of children's books, dozens of essays, and a letter to his congressman. He's been a JWR contributor since 1999.