The Expandable Brass Band including Sandy Ward of Holyoke, center, perform outside the Academy of Music Dec. 31, 2016 during the First Night Northampton festivities.
The Expandable Brass Band including Sandy Ward of Holyoke, center, perform outside the Academy of Music Dec. 31, 2016 during the First Night Northampton festivities. Credit: —GAZETTE STAFF/SARAH CROSBY

By Jack Suntrup

@JackSuntrup

NORTHAMPTON — It’s Dec. 31, that day after all the other days of the year. The last one.

It can be surreal to hit that imaginary pause button and reflect on 2016. We pull out the takeaways and think about them — the good bits and … the bad ones.

We consider the year as a whole.

And we think about what we can do better next year.

Here we go again.

Revelers roaming the streets and venues of downtown Northampton’s First Night celebration paused to share some of their resolutions for 2017. 

After a year that saw the nation endure a wrenching presidential campaign, communities grapple with financial and environmental issues and people of all sorts dealing with the usual array of  workplace demands, classroom pressures and the temptations of another piece of chocolate, it can be hard to sum up all that one hopes to achieve in the new year. 

But we asked them to try. 

Several people wanted to be healthier.

One person wanted to get organized.

These people are in pursuit of happiness, spirituality or closer ties with their loved ones.

One man predicted a rough 2017 on account of the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump.

And at least one person doesn’t do New Year’s resolutions.