Happy New Year - the one moment we speak to us

Happy!
It's about 40 minutes after midnight, and I overhear my brother speaking to his friend on the phone. She's usually quiet and keeps to herself. However, there she was yelling "Happy New Year!!" to people across the street, passers-by, and of course they replied.

New?
In this cold city where we don't look eachother in the eye, let alone speak to eachother, this is the one moment we do. Have we become so paranoid of ourselves, it takes the one chime of the same clock, of the same calendar, to finally know we share something in common, and thus communicate without fear of rejection or agitation? (I suppose the alcohol helps a great deal as well.)

It's not just a celebration, it's communicative release.

(And for the rest of the) Year...
So shake hands with your neighbour, brothers and sisters. It'll be mere moments until we climb back into our reclusive shells once again.

Happy New Year!