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.

The Luxury of Choice

As one pundit put it last night, "This year Democrats have the luxury of choice."

Remember the cast of presidential hopefuls just four years ago: Kerry, Sharpton, Kucinich, Edwards, Dean, Clark, Lieberman, Gephardt, Braun, and Graham? A black man, a woman, a Jew (an orthodox, no less), and a supposed kook who'd seen flying saucers - none of them had a chance. And when the presumptive front runner started "screaming" after his big win in Iowa, he was toast.

And then there were five. Democrats weighed the pros and cons of each, desperate to nominate someone who could defeat Bush and end the debacle fashioned by Cheney, Rove, Rumsfeld, and the other neo-conservatives who took us to war in Iraq, left Afghanistan to fend for itself, gave tax breaks to the rich, supported big corporations, conceived the failing "No Child Left Behind," and took the country from a surplus to an alarmingly high budget shortfall. (And that's just the half of it!)

I remember trying to sing the praises of someone - anyone who might end this reign of terror. A military guy with no political experience? A nice guy with perfect hair? Two longtime U.S. senators with sound records but little charisma and even less national name recognition?

By default, John Kerry was the last man standing. And we Dems did our best to get over his lack of star power, his pandering ploys, his tendency to be ambushed by special interest groups that painted him as less than a war hero and as a flip flopper extraordinaire.

We can argue Ohio and the final tally until we're blue in the face. But the guy lost and we were left to suffer the fools at the top. Oh, there was great hope midway through when the Dems took control of Congress. But with a razor-thin majority in the Senate, the strides have been minimal.

But today is a new day! We've got Hillary and Obama. Like many people I know, I struggled to make a choice. Information (as in Hillary)? Or imagination (as in Obama)? The tried and experienced? Or the fresh and energetic?

Last night, my demographic - white, "older" women - went for Hillary. I voted for Obama. But with the delegate count almost even and millions of voters yet to vote, it's too close to call. And that's just fine with me. If the man with a father from Kenya and a mother from Kansas doesn't make the final cut, then the woman from Illinois, the maligned First Lady, will move to center stage.

I look forward to having a good cry come next January when either the first African American or the first woman takes the oath as president of the United States.

We do enjoy the luxury of choice.