Many people insist that New Year's Eve should be spent with family. Those who are single or have no kids, however, say they're just as happy spending the night with only their partner or closest friends. I'm of the belief that New Year's Eve can be spent with anyone you hold near and dear to your heart -- whether it's your best friend or a group of long-time neighbors. I've never thought of New Year's Eve as being strictly a family affair -- unlike Thanksgiving and Christmas, which I do deem family occasions. It's interesting how people get into the habit of compartmentalizing different occasions. This day should be spent with such and such people, and that day should be spent with so and so. But shouldn't every day be considered Thanksgiving? Shouldn't we aim to spend any day of the year with family? Our time on this planet is short. We ought to make every effort to spend as many days of the year --above and beyond birthdays and holidays...

Whether it's a meddlesome neighbor, snoopy coworker, or intrusive relative, we all know someone who can't seem to mind his or her business. Nosy people are everywhere. The question is: Why are people this way? Many people find their lives are relatively uneventful, and so they like to pry into the affairs of others. Further, others do it as a way of assessing how fulfilling or exciting their own lives are by comparison. I've come across a host of people -- particularly coworkers -- who love asking about my life, but volunteer very little information on theirs. In such situations, you have two options: either change the subject as if to suggest that you'd rather not disclose those details, or ask the same questions of the other person in kind. I find it hypocritical for people to go fishing for information on others while staying mum about their personal lives. Those who do this ought to find better things to do with their time!