If you think this update is ahead of its time – deal with it – I won’t be around to actually write on the 31st.
Edwin Newman writes in the The World Almanac Guide to Gooder Word Usage : “The first century began January 1 of the year 1 AD. It follows that the 20th century will not end until December 31, 2000, and that the 21st century will begin on January 1, 2001. Not, repeat not, January 31, 1999, as the common assumption has it.”
Now, you have to admit that the man makes a good point, that we are all raving idiots on this one. The media has not chosen to seize accuracy in this matter, which probably isn’t surprising considering how the media operates these days. The truth of it is, we have been inundated with Millennium this and Millennium that, and even some end of the century things. All of it wrong, and a year early.
I have pointed this out to numerous people, none of whom wanted to hear it. The truth hurts. There are two ways I could look at this:
1. I could staunchly cling to this notion, and tell everyone about it. I could refuse to accept that everyone else thinks it is the end of the millennium. The thing is that nobody wants to hear it, no matter how right it is. I’m not going to do this, instead I will air it in this manner, rather than pestering people verbally with it. That being said, I don’t really care all that much, and my suggestions along this line have been more of observation than that of outrage.
2. The other thing about this is that the guys like Edwin here are going to miss all the parties. These guys can cling to these ideas all they want, but the big flashy stupid ball is going to drop in Times Square whether they like it or not, and people will be calling it the new Millennium, and the next century. William Safire made a good point in saying this: “such linguistic and mathematical correctness gets tromped on and flattened by the hooves of the happily inaccurate herd, leaving a small know of hard-faced language protesters holding a sign that reads NOT YET amid the cork-popping celebrants of the new millennium.
The other thing I have though of here is that, always wanting to find a marketing opportunity, everyone really does know this. Just wait until next year – people will renounce their acceptance of the January 1, 2000 millennium, and declare that January 1, 2001 is the REAL MILLENNIUM! Think of the sales and hype that we could create out of that!
Oh, and Happy New Year, no matter what century you think that it is.