We asked five people who were out and about in downtown Lawrence the morning of New Year’s Eve to reflect on the year.
S0me folks said New Year’s resolutions can be a chance to set a new tone as the calendar flips, but others said they forgo New Year’s resolutions because they see themselves constantly evolving.
Kira Jones, 22, Lawrence resident
Something good in 2025: “Probably being more involved in the community down here on Mass. I recently got a job here, and it’s been wonderful.”
Resolution: “Just getting out a bit more, and going to more local events. I went to Art in the Park this year, and it was so much fun. I want to do more like that.”
2025 in one word: “Challenging.”
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Duncan, 22, Lawrence resident and music composition student at KU
Something good in 2025: “I made some pretty cool music this year that I’m pretty happy with.”
Check out music Duncan has composed via their Instagram account, @duncanxcomposition.
Resolution: “To not take myself so seriously, I think.”
2025 in one word: “Reflective.”
Bill and Carol Stoddard, married couple, Lawrence residents
Something good in 2025:
• Carol: “Another year with my husband.”
• Bill: “I finished putting together a supplement for Steve Jackson Games. It will be called GURPS Ring of Fire, and it adapts a popular series of novels to a role-playing game.”
What do you want to leave in 2025 and bring into 2026?
• Carol: “I want to leave my negative attitudes behind and walk into 2026 with a positive attitude.”
• Bill: “I don’t know if I have anything I want to leave in 2025 — I can’t think of anything. I’m undecided about 2026, but I think I might want to try writing for Substack and see how it goes.”
2025 in one word:
• Carol: “Exciting.”
• Bill: “Funny – that’s the word I was thinking: Exciting.”
Bobby Scharping, 32, Lawrence resident and professional musician
Something good in 2025: “I moved to Lawrence from, well, I was living up and down the East Coast for a while pursuing a science career and just kind of wanted a change, so I got out here to do music and get closer to family again, because I grew up in Wichita. And so that was just a big moment for me, to move across the country without having a real job or anything. I’ve been making it work with gigging and busking, and I put out like five albums last year into this year.”
Scharping shares his music online via Bandcamp and other music platforms as well as his Instagram account, @bobby.scharping.
What you want to leave in 2025 and bring into 2026: “As I keep going forward, I just like to explore new things and keep going on adventures.”
2025 in one word: “Magic.”
Note: A quote in this post has been corrected.
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Maya Hodison (she/her) reported with The Lawrence Times from July 2021 through January 2026. Born and raised in Lawrence, she enjoys focusing on issues that people in marginalized communities face and amplifying voices that are oftentimes unvalued. Read more of her work for the Times here.
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