There are three basic events at which most of us have chances of receiving phone calls from friends, family and the like, inquiring how we are going to spend it. Those include our birthdays (for most it seems, people cannot conceive that there are those who actually don't do anything on this day!), Valentine's Day (rendered completely useless if you're single most of the time) and New Year's Eve. Sometimes—and I speak for a lot of individuals I know—it takes a great amount of effort to convince others that you don't have exciting plans for either of the three days and that you'd much rather lead a boring life and stay home.

The worst part about receiving around a gazillion inquiries about your plans is not the hassle of responding to them, but how you feel afterwards. When it comes to me, at one New Year's Eve, I began to feel guilty that I wasn't doing anything—if people are calling up so much, it must 'mean' something... something that completely eludes me and maybe I should celebrate?

No sooner had that thought entered my head and I was slowly resolving to go out after all, I was informed by my father I wasn't allowed to go out. You see, my father believes the boogeyman (of sorts) comes out on three days of the year Independence Day, Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve. Since most of the population is out celebrating, roads are expected to be jammed with traffic, cell phone signals are expected to be mixed up, people are expected to be in a wild—almost crazy—temperament, and it's generally unsafe, etc. I wasn't going out initially on my own, but the moment I was officially forbidden to, I instantly wanted to.

In the middle of all this, my mother sent me a message which read “I'm glad we celebrated our New Years without the fear of being mugged, bombed or labelled. Sweetie, I wish you had been born in our times!” Yes, she was rubbing it in. I felt grudgingly amused. The bottom line was the boogeyman existed and I still wanted to go out. Eventually Dad relented. I headed out and discovered I survived the evening. What's more, I came home early. Most importantly, I discovered that no one came and chopped my head off because I stepped out on one of the forbidden days, there wasn't as much traffic and no, people didn't go insane. Funny theories parent's come up with to make sure you're safe.