2010

And off we go. If when I was younger, a new year brought a sense of wonderment, now, for the first time, I have a sense of awe at a new decade.

When we rolled to a new millennium, I was still in my twenties and didn't fully grasp the flow of time. Now, I have a fully demarcated, named decade to refer to to. Not only that, but ten years in the same city, in the same career, and awe at how much and how little things can change in a decade.

Being an amateur student of history, I can also references shows about specific decades: the fifties, sixties, seventies, etc, as if an entire decade could be summarized in a clip reel of fashion, music, and special events.

What did the aughts bring us? Two recessions, two nebulous wars and two regional wars; a decade of terrorism and financial failure. The rise of 'emerging markets', especially the so-called BRIC countries. A black president, love him or fear him.

What might the coming decade bring? The work of economists and other prognosticators. Who knows? Ups, downs, turnarounds. Perhaps a mission to Mars, or to the asteroid belt. Oceanic farming and dee-sea explorations. Green technology, a green economy.