Please note that the use of regnal years, which is essentially cyclical, was retained as the crucial dating factor for a long time, with the Anno Domini added as a secondary counting relating to a separate issue. The perpetual dating from a given year, while undeniable useful for the global community, is very much a construct of the modern era, and helps underscore the perpetual and universal sense of progress so beloved of Western historians well into the twentieth century. But this counting also distances the passage of years from individual human experience. Having said that, I'm not sure we should necessarily change what has become accepted practice. But I do believe that we need to be consciously aware of the implications, and not slavishly adhere to the convention.
More coffee is in order.
Bruce Retallack 111 Raglan Ave.