2019. What will it bring? My first wish is a kinder, gentler world. Love and kindness beat anger and killing every time. Here's hoping that we all get along better this year.

Speaking of peace and love, the subject of Woodstock came up at work this week and it's hard to believe it has been 50 years since that gathering in upstate New York. I was 12, so I didn't make it there. Had it been in 1979, I might have gone! Lots of people claim they were there but only about 400,000 attended the three-day music festival. Do you know anyone who attended? We would like to know. Shoot me an email with a name and contact number so we can talk to them.

There is a 50th anniversary celebration of Woodstock being held. For more information, visit https://www.bethelwoodscenter.org/the-museum/woodstock50anniversary

1969 was also the year of the Moon landing, about a month earlier than Woodstock, July 20. Mom and Dad allowed us to stay up and watch Neil Armstrong step onto the Moon (with description by Walter Cronkite) and utter his famous words, "That's one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind." I put the "a" in parentheses because it has been debated on whether Armstrong did or didn't include it in his epigram.

Later in 1969, another sort of miracle happened -- the New York "Amazin'" Mets won the World Series over the highly touted Baltimore Orioles, 4-1. I forgot it was only their eighth season in the Major Leagues and that they had lost at least 100 games in five of those past seven seasons.

Whatever 2019 brings -- perhaps a couple of miracles, along with peace and unity -- it would be great to see America, and the world, come together again.