Well, I guess I can officially claim success at this point. I have lived to see 2010. This is longer than I ever thought I'd be alive, what with all of my years of partying, reckless driving, adventure sports, and general lack of respect for boundaries as a whole.
I spent this entire decade from 1999 to 2009 living as a east-coast transplant in the west, in Prescott Arizona. As I look back now, I realize that it was this past decade that has really defined me as a man more than any other. I have to admit I have not seen enough decades come and go to call myself an expert at judging them-I have only seen three and a half so far. This one though, the early two thousands, has been powerful for me. I have had one leg in my twenties and the other in my thirties in this decade. Ask anyone. We all say that this is the time that we really come into ourselves. It is so formative for most, that some people simply can't hang, and burn out. Think: Morrison, Hendrix, Joplin et al. Luckily, for all of the craziness, most of us make it out alive.
Some of the key events I endured during the last ten years:
-Abject, unbelievable poverty. The kind you are a little embarrassed about, but if you have other poor friends to share it with, it's all good. In fact, somewhat liberating.
-Hard work. I worked my ass off for the better part of this period. At one point I held three different jobs and worked seven days a week. But I admit this was not without it's benefits. I have become more of a jack-of-all-trades than anyone I know. I have worked in construction jobs, restaurant jobs, driven everything with wheels, sold stuff, you name it. There's just no substitute for that kind of education. I continue to work hard. It's just habit now.
-Scared myself sh*tless. I have willingly placed myself in more danger than is sane or logical. I have traveled faster under the force of gravity than a human body should safely travel. I have climbed higher, sped quicker, sweat and cursed louder, and suffered more intensely than I ever thought I would. As a result, I have made the best friends of my life, laughed longer, cried with more pain, and relinquished my spirit to the grandeur of life. I wouldn't trade that for anything.
-Learned a heck of a lot. When you are in your late teens, early twenties, you are just so damn selfish. I was so selfish that I got in my own way all the time. Luckily, I met people who taught me to put the effort into what it is that you want-friendships, career, sports, whatever. Those jobs I mentioned earlier... Because I wasn't only focused on the paycheck, I learned how to do so many things, and do them with all kinds of people.
-Became a spiritual person. This does not mean that I started going to church. It does mean that I did in essence "come to the crossroads," and that lead me to an interesting place. After a lot of meditation and investigation I realized that there is something bigger than us and this plane of existence that defies explanation and is exceptionally personal. Some people get together with others to share this, others don't. I'm in the latter group.
-Existed in a partnership. Oh! my struggles with this. For years a successful relationship with a member of the opposite sex seemed so distant. Until I learned that it doesn't just happen. It is always a work in progress, and as long as you're still working on it, you're doing fine. I guess it comes down to finding that person that's willing to do the work with you and understands your "work style." At long last, I finally found my partner and married her this year.
-Relative wealth and comfort. After years of working for low wages and few benefits, I finally got my act together and realized what I'm worth. Surprisingly, as soon as I realized this, the money just appeared. I'm not rolling around in stacks of hundred dollar bills everyday, but I think for my qualifications, I'm doing all right. Maybe I should just ask for this?
-Come into myself. This is the grand total of all of the above. I have settled into this being, after all of the soul-searching and experience. There are things about myself that I would still like to change, and things about myself that I refuse to change. All in all though, I am psyched to posess this body and mind. I consider myself lucky.
So, where am I heading? Where are we headed in the coming decade? For once, it isn't unclear for me. I am looking forward to kids, which I am guessing will happen soon. I am hoping that having children will not be the single most life-altering event in my life. That seems so cliche. I am driving toward more experience in life with or without a nest of rug-rats. Hopefully kids will enrich these experiences, rather than provide an anchor. Maybe this is all wishful thinking. Who knows. Society? Humans being on the planet Earth? I have no idea what the future will hold for us. I have my selfish hopes and desires though.
My short list:
-Reduce energy dependence on foreign oil. How about we get to the point that we are satisfied with our domestic oil reserves and we're gunning for full energy independence with a new renewable energy infrastructure? It is entirely possible and could become a reality in the next twenty years if we are all willing to sacrifice a little. When I say "a little," I really mean a small stretch. Smaller cars, more efficient buildings, smart-grid technology. Hey, maybe if we let go of our attachment to foreign oil, we can stop killing people in the Middle East. Duh.
-Create more domestic jobs. I'm gonna go ahead and hang this out there. If unemployment is high and the economy is south of cheese, doesn't it make sense to focus on implementing local, state and national programs to improve our failing infrastructure (roads, bridges, utilities, etc.) similar to the New Deal programs of the 1930's? How hard could it be? I can guarantee that pulling ourselves out of financial ruin would be harder. I hear a lot that our workforce isn't suited to the kind of work that would be required to install a nationwide "smart-grid," large-scale wind turbines, and other renewable energy generation and distribution systems. The only logical answer to this is a question: how many project managers, laborers, secretaries, financiers, and marketing professionals does it take to get anything accomplished in our society? A lot. By the way, the Mexican immigrant that you pick up on the corner doesn't seem to have a problem doing just about anything you ask him to do.
-Healthcare for everyone. I cannot believe the rhetoric that continues to mire this process. Furthermore, I cannot believe that some members of congress actually complained that they had to work "into the holidays" to get this bill ironed out. They do realize they work for us right? I know that it's a dream and probably a shot in the dark, but I want an insured populace for the new year. Or a pony.
-Bring the troops home. George W. Bush's war is over. He didn't get us any farther than his Daddy did. To put it in perspective-we've been at war in the Middle East in some capacity for 20 years. 20 years! Sure, we have a few more unclosable bases in Iraq. Sure, we've brought Pepsi and Levis to another corner of the globe. We've got billion dollar planes that no one can see! We've also parked ourselves right in the middle of a culture we don't fully understand and can't hope to repair with any amount of money. Afghanistan? Those poor people have endured enough. I have always looked at Vietnam with such disgust and this is my generation's Vietnam. Don't we ever learn? I think it's high time we reallocate some tax dollars and spend that money at home, with a large portion of it earmarked for treatment of PTSD.
Just this. That's all I'm asking for right now. Let's shrink our "influence" on the rest of the world a bit in the years to come and focus on what good we can create here. We are, on the whole, a good and well-meaning people, but we need to stop believing that everyone should look and act exactly like us. Homogeny is dead.
As for today, tomorrow, and the beginning of 2010, I wish for a peaceful end to violence everywhere, more connection and community, and the seeds of enlightened thought to spread throughout the world.
Thanks for reading.
