When I was a freshman in college I spent New Year’s Eve with a bunch of college buddies on Long Island. The parents of one of my friends were out of town so it seemed like the perfect place to set up camp. After an afternoon of partying we decided to head into Manhattan to join a million other souls at Times Square.

Knowing we could never park near Times Square, we decided to drive to Jamaica, the nearest subway stop, and then take the subway to the festivities. It sounded like a good idea except we didn’t have a clue how to get there. The New York subway system is a maze of intersecting lines fanning out to the city’s boroughs. There was a map at the Jamaica station and I am certain in our arrogance and ignorance we ignored it.

We knew we had to change trains at some point, but where? Too proud to ask for directions, we were trapped underground, speeding to nowhere. By 11:30 pm it became clear we were not going to make it to Times Square. We were going to spend New Year’s Eve in a dank subway car, far from the revelry and mirth.

Cutting our losses, we decided to retrace our steps. We got off the train, crossed to the other side of the platform and headed back to Jamaica. It was 12:30 am when we surfaced into the night air. Utterly defeated and totally demoralized, we headed back to nurse our wounds. As the evening grew late it became clear that there were more of us than there were beds. I agreed to share a king size bed with a guy we called “Big John.” Now he wasn’t named “Big John” because he was tiny, and even the extra large bed seemed cramped. “Big John” had been nursing a toothache, and shortly after 3:00am it exploded, sending lightning bolts of pain through his skull. The man was in agony, moaning and thrashing, destroying any chance for sleep.

As I think back to that evening, over 40 years ago, I am thankful for the family members and friends I have shared New Year’s Eve with. I have wonderful memories of parties, dinners and concerts. Thankfully, none since have involved the New York Transit Authority and sharing a bed with a bear of a man with an abscessed tooth. Happy New Year!