I had a meeting last week with someone who mentioned he was surprised the pundits were not talking much about this being the end of a decade. Decade in review? Who wants to talk about the decade marking the beginning of this century? Would we as Americans want to focus on the death done to us at the beginning of the decade and then the death we did to others toward the end? The fall of our financial system? A president dominating the decade who many historians say could go down in history as the worst president in the history of our country? Not so much.
On a personal note, what strikes me most is how this past decade slipped away. I can’t think of anything that was center stage in this decade for me personally. Decades when you are younger are measured by the thing you did most; my high school decade, college decade, work decade, marriage decade, parenting decade, and now that I’m in my fifties, I can’t find the primary purpose of this decade. This, of course, leads me to setting up something for the next decade. I love setting up goals and then not meeting them. It’s a comforting constant in my otherwise inconstant approach to most things.
What should it be? Bigger than a New Year’s Resolution, a Decade Resolution has to have real punch.
Maybe it should be my health. Today, you can determine your health. Sure, you are hampered or helped by your gene pool – and mine is quite good actually – but there are so many things now that are determined by your own behavior that it’s no longer a crap shoot whether you end up in the doctor’s office for an annual physical or something bigger. While this is a good resolution, I really think it’s a bit selfish and doesn’t offer much to anyone other than myself. It’s good for a new year’s resolution, but not a decade.
Or maybe it could be to change my life is some larger sense. My daughter is on her own now, in law school and doing really well. I have freedom now to go anywhere. Maybe this is the decade that I move to Africa and help people grow green beans. This is something that I am so not qualified to do. I killed every vegetable garden I ever started in my various backyards and would have no credibility in that area. Besides, I have too many fears about the diseases everyone seems to fight upon returning from the African wild.
Maybe this is the decade I go and buy a broken down house under the Tuscan sun and find love and friendship in the neighborhood at my abundant food-laden table. I don’t speak the language. That is such a big problem in setting up houses under the Tuscan sun. Say what you want, you cannot go into another country and expect to find love and friendship without at least speaking their language. It’s just so American.
Bottom line is this. I would like to spend the next decade being a writer. There I said it out loud. Writing something that isn’t entertainment like my blog, but something that has legs long past the decade’s end. Legs in writing are accomplished by the best writers. I don’t know any of them personally, but I’m sure at the end of each decade they pile up what they have written on the desk and look at it knowing that they have something that sticks around long after they are gone but has their DNA all over it.
And you?
Let’s see…the 80′s were my high and college decade. The 90′s were my getting married and having kids decade. The 2000′s were my getting a divorce and picking up the pieces decade.
I would like the next decade to be when it all comes together for me…..my kids are getting older and it’s getting easier, my career I feel is defining itself and it’s forcing me to think outside the box, my parents have decided to move part time to the Philippines which will be hard for me but I’m happy for them…..and maybe just MAYBE a nice guy will come along and sweep me off my feet.
I am fast approaching my mid forties and I feel the need to get it all together and put all my ducks in a row and this will be the decade to do it. My inspiration board to filling up and I am excited.
Annette, let’s make a pact and check in with each other. You are someone who will always do what you set out to do. Of that I am sure.
Although I don’t always agree with what you write – your style keeps me reading until the end of your blog and looking forward to the next thought provoking blog (where did “blog” originate?). I’ll be ordering your book (since I didn’t get it for Christmas) and would be interested in anthing you put out there for me to read. I hope you achieve your goal for the next decade.
I’m in my 50′s too. Time has begun to speed up. It’s become urgent for me find a way to leave my career in finance/management and move into what excites me – making things and perhaps teaching others to make things.
It feels like I’m a puzzle piece that hasn’t found a fit on all four sides. I’ll work on finding the other pieces – that should keep me busy for, at least, the next decade.
Regards,
Janet
Doesn’t it feel good to write it out loud?
I believe in vision boards. Do one. It works for me. Really does.
Pact—AGREED…..and thanks.
I was telling a friend of mine today about this particular blog and I told him how it felt good to reply to it, I guess because it made me define the past few decades (I didn’t think it could be summed up so easily)and also it was nice to be asked about the plan for the next one……..
Easy to visualize for me – maybe not so easy to accomplish: stop working a corporate job to make the money that supports my passions – photography and music, and instead focus the primary energy on the photography and music and try to make enough to survive. Fear: becoming a starving artist in my 50′s.
And – what do you mean, “Tuscan sun?” You are OD’ing on the photons you are absorbing in California! Don’t you want to move to Seattle or Portland – no, wait – Victoria! It’s a beautiful city, international community, gets cold sometimes – and most people speak a language related to English!