When this year began, there were people in ... through ballots upon ballots ... forchads they could ... the end of this year, a ... ... or just some guy name
When this year began, there were people in Florida digging through ballots upon ballots searching for chads they could count.
Near the end of this year, a firefighter, police officer or just some guy named Chad stood up to be counted on that September day.
It was a year where we started out feeling so safe, secure and able to do anything we wanted. Then came the fears of opening envelopes, getting on planes or shopping in the malls. We realized so much of what we have, we take for granted.
It was a year when the most important thing to television viewers was to either watch Friends and record Survivor, or watch Survivor and record friends on Thursday nights. Funny how that is the furthest thing from anyone's mind today.
It was a year where lines at the Red Cross to donate blood were longer than lines at the DMV, Post Office, License Bureau, fast food drive-throughs, express checkouts, toll booths and banks before Y2K – combined.
It was a year when the World Series was more than just a game. It didn't really matter to most of us who won, as long as the games were played. Sentiment was with the Yankees and the city of New York. But our underdog spirit for a young team in the league like the Arizona Diamondbacks was just as strong.
It was a year when the hot news story of the year was US Congressman Gary Condit and his relationship with a Washington intern. So many of us were hoping that part of the story would just go away. Guess we need to be more careful what we wish for.
On a more individual level…
It was a year when perhaps we lost someone near and dear to us whom we've known all our lives. Maybe we didn't get the chance to see them as often as we may have liked over the years, but we are glad to have known them. Likewise, maybe someone we never really cared for over the years left us, just as we were starting to understand them and ourselves.
It was a year where we lost touch with some, and yet found others.
It was a year where something good happened to us at least once. But for some reason we didn't quite believe it was really happening to "us," so we let it fade.
And it was a year where we went with the flow. Didn't makes waves. Sat back to see where we would end up. Kept hoping for a better tomorrow. Tried to stay out of trouble. Got out of the wrong side of the bed way too often. Cried over spilled milk. Complained about the cost of tea in China. And we kept hoping something good would appear on television, but never did anything about it, and kept watching it anyway.
While 2001 is certainly one of those years we would love to pretend never took place or just forget, we know we can never do that. Nor should we really want that to actually happen.
So when that ball begins to drop at 11:59pm in New York City on New Years Eve, take that minute to just sit and feel it. Think about the year that was and the year ahead. So much is uncertain. The only things we know are what have already taken place.
So don't be afraid to have ideas and dreams of a better tomorrow. Create some sort of image or monument of your own to live up to. And if you ever lose your way or that inspiration, take out this chapter on 2001. It'll be easy to find. It has that red, white and blue ribbon as it's bookmark.
David Stoddard is a writer, commentator and essayist. Sign up for his motivational ezine (Que Sera Sera) at his web site http://www.dstoddard.net or by sending a blank message to Que_sera_sera-subscribe@topica.com
