IT was the most anticipated New Year's ever, a millennial turning point that captured our imaginations and stirred our emotions: anxiety, fear, joy and hope.
And like all things human -- in Hawaii and globally -- the reality was different from the expectation.
The anxiety came from the Y2K bug, and the doomsday scenarios of computers glitching out vital services. In the end, though, the precautions taken worked: Water flowed, electricity buzzed, ATMs surrendered cash.
Fear for islanders arose from one of our instruments of celebration: fireworks, and with them the danger of homes burning and lungs wheezing. Indeed, the post-midnight haze was heavy, people had to seek refuge, fire crews responded to more calls than last year, and one man was critically injured. But while a proliferation of illegal aerials caused fires, damage was limited. The debate will continue.
Joy was reflected in the special events planned to greet the new millennium: reservations made months in advance, concerts and festivities in hotel ballrooms and parks. Oddly, though, the raucous crowds seen in places such as Times Square never emerged here.
Traffic flowed through Waikiki. Fireworks displays were spectacular, but the laser countdown on Diamond Head fizzled.
Mostly, we stayed home with family and friends.
And we hoped -- we prayed for peace, even as two men were shot in Kapalama, one fatally.
In the end -- apart from the glitter and hype -- it was a New Year's much like any other. We ate and drank. A first baby was born. Some of us got married. We contemplated the year past, and the year to come. We stayed up late -- and in the morning, the sun rose, and we embarked on the business of life, again.
