2009 in review

Everyone else is doing it, so why shouldn’t I?
What did 2009 mean to me? I don’t know if you do, but I enjoy the year in review and decade in review news casts that follow the Christmas season on television. Since the decade was more than 25% of my life, I think it’s too early to do decade reviews. This time ten years ago I was a just past newlywed going to community college working full time at the Olive Garden…I think. I recall that Y2K was supposed to be big, but so was Land of the Lost. I digress, without further ado, 2009:

I’m going to comment on 2009 in my perspective; this would include what I pay attention to: News, the Internet, sports, running and travel.
First up the News; several news worthy stories caught my attention this year, some for the good, some for the not so good. The first and most obvious was the inauguration of the first minority President. Our country is far from perfect, but I think it got a bit better that day. I hope the hope he brings can transcend the bitter trenches that politicians have dug themselves into over the past decade or so.
The Swine Flu made headlines and sort of fizzled thereafter. In the end the swine flu, much like other “pandemic” flues before it killed less people than the good old regular flu, but we don’t have a catchy name like Swine, H1N1 or Avian flu for it, so don’t put it on television. I don’t want to seem cold but don’t advertise a pandemic unless it’s a pandemic. In a related story, the current government has gotten further on Health care reform than any other before it. I’m not sure the final bill will have much bite, but a journey of a thousand miles does start with the first step. Having nearly every American insured doesn’t sound like a bad thing and money issues aside I hope that most people can see past politics and have compassion for the working poor.
The economy was a big story this year as a multi headed monster left over from corporate greed of the past decade. The financial markets tanked, unemployment surged, the housing bubble burst, so on and so forth. This is technically a 2008 story, but the carryover was hard to ignore.
The internet continues to evolve very quickly, at this time a decade ago; I was in a small minority of people on the internet. Dial up was king and AOL had a viable business plan! Today, I use Facebook to keep in touch with my family better from a couple thousand miles than I did from a couple miles. Social Networking didn’t just catch on, it caught fire. I was very slow to hop onto this bandwagon, but I’m really happy I did. 2009 is the year I traded my World of Warcraft addition for a much healthier re-addition to running and a side of Facebook.
Travel was a central theme this year, both personally and nationally. I don’t think anyone will forget Captain “Sully” and his adventures on the Hudson. Unfortunately this one positive pilot story was countered with the story of missed arrival and the excuses that followed. Security was in the news often, mostly for the wrong reasons. For the first time in my life, Jen and I have started driving to cities for vacation if they’re within a day’s drive. The frustrations of over booked flights, paying for bags, heavy luggage fees, hit or miss security and spotty customer service has made driving more enjoyable.
Running was a big theme in my year. Even though I didn’t start running again until well into the summer, it changed my year substantially. In the three years since I had moved to Arizona, my weight had swelled to as much as 190 lbs, I had two surgeries and as mentioned before found myself semi-addicted to video games. I had run a race here or there over that span but had all but given up on running. I ran a bit after the meniscus tear but returned to being docile shortly thereafter. My knee didn’t hurt as bad as it did before the surgery, but I probably returned to running too soon and at too large a weight and kind of gave up. Later I was diagnosed with Melanoma and although the thought of having Cancer didn’t bother me too much, it did fuel my lack of effort in life. In a really odd way, I’d like to thank the guy who ticked me off this past February while I was crafting war. Almost like a switch flipping I looked myself in the mirror and DID NOT like what I saw. I didn’t let the excuses win yet, but they had a commanding lead. I went on the first diet of my life (it turns out there’s an App for that!) and realized that not being able to run, or so I thought, was no reason to not do anything. So, I hit the pool, watched the calories, eventually started to hike…and before you know it, I was mixing in one little run a week. A few weeks later, it was two runs. Twenty five pounds later I was running four or five days a week and had a goal. By October I was running races again, not just showing up and hoping to not get hurt. I am hovering around 155 now and debating taking the next step…the Marathon! If I do, it won’t be in 2010, but the road was paved here in 2009. I have also found new and fun ways to enjoy the sport I’ve known since my freshman year in High School, back in the fall of 1986. Hmm…2011 is 25 years of running; I smell a reason to run a marathon or something coming on.
Every year is marred with the reminders of mortality and 2009 was no exception. I wish I was at an age where a family member dying was a shock, but unfortunately I’m not. This year claimed my Aunt Mitzi. Our families didn’t live the same cities for very much but she was always a kind soul and a barrel of fun when we did get together. I’ll always remember her as a dancer and teacher and the kind of person that a party stopped for a second when she made her entrance. I don’t have a ton of memories with the Holdens from my childhood, but they all involve laughter and smiling. My teen years I got to know the family again while Aunt Mitzi’s dance studio would put on recitals and she recruited me to work the lights. I know she thanked me for it, but I was so happy to do it, I wanted to thank her.
Much like my Aunt Mitzi, 2009 saw some other larger than life figures pass. For me, Ed McMahon, Ted Kennedy and Paul Harvey were the names and faces I knew best. The world of sports also saw its own mortality with the early deaths of Chris Henry and Steve McNair; as well as the Coach Daly.
2009 also saw my parents get on a plane for the first time in 29 YEARS…and hopefully enjoy what most people have come to know as a vacation. We explored the city I live in a bit together and I think had a wonderful time.
So in the end, what did 2009 mean to me? To me, it was about righting the ship and expanding horizons. I’m in contact with more people than ever before; some of it silly dribble, but some of it has really let me get to know my relatives and reconnect with old friends. I can see my nieces growing up despite being on the opposite coast, I can chat with long lost cousins if only a sentence or two at a time. My on again off again love affair with running is one again (hopefully to stay).
What will 2010 mean to me? I think most of what I’ve written about has the chance to improve going forward. The economy appears to be crawling out, health care may be improved, I can only get to know my relatives more and I’ll get to travel to a few more cities.