The silly season is over, having culminated with that most ho-hum of festivities, New Years Eve. Now the counter clicks over a year and the months start over. 1/1/2007 – whodathunkit?
For the first time in many years, we decided to go out on New Years Eve. We normally been content to stay at home and leave the partying to others. This year we stopped by a friend’s house for drinks. It was fun, but we were home by 11. Our neighbor across the street lit off several hundred dollars of fireworks at midnight. When the smoke cleared, we went to bed.
My sweetie and I spent most of today lounging about in the living room, each with a computer on our lap. We usually spend New Years Day quietly, talking about the last 12 months and planning at least some of the next. We’ve decided that at least on a personal level, 2006 was a fairly good year. We’re both healthy. Our current fiscal condition is okay. Both cars are running. 2007 looks to be promising as well. There are things we’d like to accomplish in the coming year, but we’re in a better place today than we were a year ago.
The world beyond my day-to-day looked pretty precarious in 2006. The military meat grinder in Iraq continued to churn out carnage. George Bush continued to demonstrate the only thing he is competent at – making messes for others to clean up. The amount of human misery created by this republican government is just staggering. It’s like they get up every morning thinking, “what can I fuck up today?” The state of the world is not better than it was a year ago.
I want to be hopeful about the coming year. As hopeful for the world as I am about my own day-to-day. There are new people in the government that may succeed in reigning in the stupidity. Perhaps a way will be found out of Iraq for the military. Perhaps saner heads will prevail and America can remember who we want to be. America doesn’t want to be a frightened, aggressive bully. And I say “America” like it’s a thing itself. America is not a thing, it's a thought. It boils down to people choosing to treat each other well. It comes down, ultimately, to me.
My resolution this year is to be my best self every chance I get.
For the first time in many years, we decided to go out on New Years Eve. We normally been content to stay at home and leave the partying to others. This year we stopped by a friend’s house for drinks. It was fun, but we were home by 11. Our neighbor across the street lit off several hundred dollars of fireworks at midnight. When the smoke cleared, we went to bed.
My sweetie and I spent most of today lounging about in the living room, each with a computer on our lap. We usually spend New Years Day quietly, talking about the last 12 months and planning at least some of the next. We’ve decided that at least on a personal level, 2006 was a fairly good year. We’re both healthy. Our current fiscal condition is okay. Both cars are running. 2007 looks to be promising as well. There are things we’d like to accomplish in the coming year, but we’re in a better place today than we were a year ago.
The world beyond my day-to-day looked pretty precarious in 2006. The military meat grinder in Iraq continued to churn out carnage. George Bush continued to demonstrate the only thing he is competent at – making messes for others to clean up. The amount of human misery created by this republican government is just staggering. It’s like they get up every morning thinking, “what can I fuck up today?” The state of the world is not better than it was a year ago.
I want to be hopeful about the coming year. As hopeful for the world as I am about my own day-to-day. There are new people in the government that may succeed in reigning in the stupidity. Perhaps a way will be found out of Iraq for the military. Perhaps saner heads will prevail and America can remember who we want to be. America doesn’t want to be a frightened, aggressive bully. And I say “America” like it’s a thing itself. America is not a thing, it's a thought. It boils down to people choosing to treat each other well. It comes down, ultimately, to me.
My resolution this year is to be my best self every chance I get.
