The Dawn of a New Decade

Where did the last 10 years go? A matter of blinks ago, we were facing a new millennium with trepidation, afraid that everything electronic would go batty on us. Remember? If I recall correctly, all the hand wringing was for naught; we all managed to fire up our computers and cell phones and continue along our merry way. We carried on without a hitch until 9/11 when our collective optimism was shot to hell; we haven't been the same since (except, perhaps, on January 20, 2009, when President Barack Obama was sworn in as President of the United States.)

What now? A foiled attempt to blow up an airplane about to land in Detroit. Finger pointing to put the blame somewhere with a faulty mindset that we can stop every single terrorist plot. A health care bill that faces tough days ahead as senators and representatives haggle to settle their differences. A limping economy that, while showing some signs of life, has not yet raised the hopes of the millions who are out of work. Climate change that threatens our very existence. Blah, blah, blah . . . .

I, for one, so wanted to start the new year off on the right foot; instead, I've got this queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach that we haven't yet reached bottom. And now, just moments after the euphoria of last year's election, we have to be bombarded by talk of the resurgence of the Republican party. Gee, I was just beginning to breathe a sigh of relief after 8 years of that monster George Bush. Can't a girl get a break?

My answer: Run away and hide. Yep, I'm taking a news break, suspending my avid focus on what's going on in the world. And I'm running from what is already a harsh winter by jaunting off to California. Call me a coward, a wimp, a fair-weather friend. "Sticks and stones can hurt my bones, my names can never hurt me." I'm looking out for numero uno . . . and my cats. (My husband is on his own. He brings his own set of issues to the table that only he can tackle.)

Before I have to think about income taxes and what I'm going to do professionally and the 2010 mid-term elections, I'm going to have myself a damn good time. I'm going to walk and hike, commune with Mother Nature, take yoga and dance classes, wander through mueums and art galleries, spend time with old friends, partake of anything interesting the University of California Berkeley has to offer, be wowed by glorious sunsets, roam the ocean beaches, taste the wines of Napa and Sonoma, revisit the enzyme bath in northern California, and do anything else I can to relax, stoke my spirit, rejuvenate my body, and forget about the big mess called planet Earth.