Well, gentle readers, we finally get to bid goodbye to a very, very bad year. An annus horribilis, to quote Queen Elizabeth II in 1992 after Windsor castle burned and the royal family collectively got caught with its knickers down.
It was bad pretty much from every perspective, especially so for the household of your obedient scribe; we will gently close the door on that discussion and move on to the wider world of woe.
Terrible economy. Continuing warfare. Public discourse at an all-time low. Banks shriveling up and blowing away like so much chaff. Net worth doing likewise. The big black dog of Depression lurking around every corner. Fires, hurricanes, floods. Earthquake. Global warming.
Rich people forced to sell their yachts, for goodness sakes. And their estate jewelry.
OK, I really don't feel very bad about that. Indulging in schadenfreude when the rich get their comeuppance is a time-honored tradition, going back to les tricoteuses who were knitting in the Place de la Concord while heads rolled.
Even Aristotle recognized this feeling, using the term epikhairekakia to describe someone who takes pleasure in another's misfortune. I am sure that if Aristotle knew of the people who invented and profited from credit default swaps, he would feel epikhairekakia in spades at their misery when the house of cards collapsed.
I do feel bad about all of the people who have lost their homes, whether those people were feckless or not.
And yet, with all of the unpleasantness of the past twelvemonth, hope springs eternal.
Some good things happened at the end of the year. A much-needed change came to Washington. Gas prices plummeted from astronomical to economical.
Our beloved Phillies became World Champions for the first time in 28 years.
On the home front, Spencer transitioned seamlessly to a new high school, achieved honor roll, and found a girlfriend. Allie taught full-time and extended her performing schedule. Jess's pottery entered the world of the high-end artisan show. Jess and Allie together started the process of rebuilding their mom's home.
I do feel bad about all of the people who have lost their homes, whether those people were feckless or not.
And yet, with all of the unpleasantness of the past twelvemonth, hope springs eternal.
Some good things happened at the end of the year. A much-needed change came to Washington. Gas prices plummeted from astronomical to economical.
Our beloved Phillies became World Champions for the first time in 28 years.
On the home front, Spencer transitioned seamlessly to a new high school, achieved honor roll, and found a girlfriend. Allie taught full-time and extended her performing schedule. Jess's pottery entered the world of the high-end artisan show. Jess and Allie together started the process of rebuilding their mom's home.
Norm and I discovered panettone, which is Italian for "a specialty cake so insanely delectable that you will dislocate your jaw just to get a bigger piece into your mouth."
And so, we firmly and collectively plant our boots on the withered and ghastly posterior of 2008 and give it a shove out the door. We hitch up our pants, roll up our sleeves, cinch in our belts, and look towards 2009 with good thoughts and our fingers crossed.
And we turn the page without looking back.
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2 comments:
Hey Val, Just look back at one thing--you wrote 50 blog posts last year!
and--they're good!
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