Needless to say, I have been watching too much TV. The endless list of stories involving the above topics makes me wonder if every media outlet is so dumbed down that we can't get to the real stuff we should be discussing. As the year begins, there are always lists to endure, resolutions to proclaim, and final views of the preceding year to review. Not that I object to these things out of hand: we need to review to progress as individuals and as a society. But this year's lists are pretty mortifying to my sensibilities. Who presumes to rank marital infidelities and other bad behaviors? And how does this matter to most of us? I'm trying not to be cynical here, but it's not easy to resist.
On balance, my last decade was spent in a charming little town that showed its heart on more than one occasion. I rejected my former suburban existence and I found a lot of what had been missing. I owned the house of my dreams. I had a big stake in all sorts of community projects and issues. I lost a lot of battles, but won a few important ones.
I learned to slow down, and within months, discovered that I did not need to speed from event to event without seeing a bigger picture. When I returned to Oakland County to visit, I noticed how hassled and hurried everyone seemed to be, and I didn't miss that aspect of life at all. Nor did I miss the conspicuous consumption of fancy cars, clothes, etc.
To some, it would seem that the biggest story of the past ten years would be changes in technology. When I first came to Chelsea, I had one not especially reliable cell phone and an ancient computer. Now I have a smartphone, a laptop, a desktop, and wireless Internet at home. I clearly remember not being able to get anything but dial-up at first. DSL didn't arrive for several years. Wireless Internet was the most recent addition to my home. Being a student of human nature, it's hard to ignore that such changes have encouraged an impatience that comes with instant access.
So to those of my generation who have rejected technology because it seems too artificial, or too complicated, or too frivolous, let me encourage you to be a bit more open-minded. I am using the technology that I have to try to move forward. I've reconnected with old friends that I couldn't otherwise have found. It's genuinely terrific to think of all the things gained, that I'd be missing without my tools.
Now to the problems created by the beginning of a new decade. Let's back off the endless lists: I don't think that the best web videos of the year need our help. And for those items on each person's lists of blunders, heart-breakers, and annoyances, I imagine they're going to fade away as life progresses. Nothing is as important as accepting life's imperfections, especially one's own.
On balance, these are the things that matter most as the new year unfolds.
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