Editorial
Front Page - Friday, January 08, 2010
A new millennium already?
Bill James
WmJamesJr@aol.com
It seems like just yesterday that we celebrated the new millennium. I remember sitting atop the Regions building at the Little Rock Club and wondering whether all hell was about to break out because someone forgot to properly prepare the world’s computers for the next century. Fortunately, the catastrophe was averted, and we were all allowed to pass into 2000 without having to rely on the bottled water and freeze dried food that we had stored in apprehension of the impending doom facing the world.
It is hard to believe that this is the beginning of the 6th decade that I have lived in during my lifetime. That is a lot. In fact, I even recounted three times to make sure I was correct. But, as of today, it is true. Six decades.
Being born in 1965, I really do not remember much of the 60’s. I was pretty young. I remember war on television and I remember the first moon landing. I remember getting a “Hippity Hop” for Christmas. I remember my dad telling me to be careful where I rode it and then riding in a rocky area and it deflating. That is about it for the 60’s.
In the 70’s, I remember being on the champion little league team in 1973. I know that was the year because it was on the trophy. I was the right fielder and wasn’t very good, but I did like the trophy. I remember voting for Nixon in our class election for president and then watching him resign. I remember the bi-centennial celebration and everything being red, white and blue. I remember disco and first noticing girls. I remember Carter was president and the economy wasn’t very good. Then, I first heard about Iran, although I did not understand why they took our people hostage. Truthfully, I did not know enough to care.
In the 80’s, I remember a resurgence of pride in America under Reagan although many were afraid he would lead us to war. I remember my first car, my first real girlfriend, and the McChicken sandwich. I remember choosing the University of Arkansas as my college because I really did not recognize that other schools existed. I remember going to college and traveling through a maze of experiences that netted me very little hours of credit and an even lower grade point. I remember November 10, 1987, which is the first time I ever danced with a cute little coed named Patti. I forgot her name and it took me a couple of weeks to find her. Although, truthfully she found me.
I finally graduated in the 90’s and went to law school and actually made it through in the prescribed 3 years. I opened my own practice and did not go bankrupt. I had three children and actually bought a house.
The new Millennium brought confusion and unrest to the world. The were bubbles that busted and things to be afraid of behind every corner. The children and the practice grew tremendously. The world has pretended to go green and the decade has ended with a feeling that I cannot describe. Only time will tell how this decade is remembered. It has been a decade of reevaluation and reconsideration. It has been 10 long years that I, for the first time, have begun to feel old. The future is not bleak, but the unbridled opportunities that seemed to lay ahead just 20 years ago have dulled to a more realistic shine with more emphasis being put on preservation than acquisition. Patti is still here, so all is good.
I plan to run into the next decade and meet it head on. I will not go quietly into the night, but rather I will rage against the machine and squeeze the marrow out of every last day. I will seek to reach new heights and I will be a better friend, father, husband, and person. I will make more money, give more of my time to those less fortunate, and seek an inner peace that I have not yet found during my travels through the last five decades of which I have been a part. I will get into the best shape of my life and read something other than files. I will even be a better employer.
That is it. That is my pledge to the next decade. This is the attitude I take into the next year. Unbridled hope and expectation. Finally, I pledge to write at least one column to be used for those times, like tonight, that I have waited until the last minute. Of course, we all know that is not going to happen. There is nothing wrong with dreaming, even in the CHEAP SEATS. Happy New Year!
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