Someone was determined to put 2021 behind them

It's been years since I saw the New Year in at midnight on 31 December. I am normally so exhausted by the past year that I crawl into bed early, put the earplugs in and am out like a light within minutes. And this was the case this year, too.

Oh, I do hear when midnight rolls round, despite the earplugs, but I just shove them in more firmly and fall right back to sleep again.

Not this year though. This year, there weren't just a few minor explosions. Oh, no. Someone was very determined to put 2021 behind them and the noise went on and on and on. For at least eight minutes. I know, because I was awake all that time. 

The reason people make noise at the stroke of midnight on the last day of the old year is to frighten away any evil spirits so that the new year starts all clean and fresh and full of hope. 

Let us hope, then, that this person's plan of making so much noise for so long worked and that 2022 will be the year we can finally chase away the evil spirit of this pandemic once and for all.

Happy New Year!