Today is the first day of the New Year 2010. Doesn’t that have a nice sound?
Do we pronounce the New Year “twenty ten?” Or do we pronounce it “two oh one oh?” I prefer “twenty ten.” That has a nice ring to it.
Last night I got in from work at the hotel at 11:20 pm. That was enough time to change, shower and have a bedtime snack while I watched the New Year rung in on CNN by that sadly unfunny duo of Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper.
I, like many of my fellow citizens will be facing unemployment at the beginning of the new decade. I’m working today but for the rest of the month I’m not on the work schedule at the hotel. I probably won’t be on the work schedule for February either. Maybe even into March. Perhaps the warm weather will bring a change in hotel occupancy.
Several of my friends have also seen their hours of work reduced. I don’t know of anybody who has been untouched by this poor economy. No doubt about it, this is an equal opportunity recession.
Because all of our incomes will be down this year, it will require us to review our priorities and decide what we can do without this year. What we do without will have repercussions throughout the economy. Because I decide to eat out less will mean the restaurants I frequent will earn less money and will require them to cut back on their staff and hours. It is a vicious, cruel cycle.
I for one am going to use this extra time that I will now have and turn it into an opportunity. First thing I’m going to do (I’ve already started) is finish unpacking the remaining boxes from my move to Delaware three years ago (November 2006.)
Then I’m going to go through those boxes and other items and decide what I can live without and either drop those items off at the local thrift store or sell them on EBay (I can use the money.)
Secondly I’m going to cedar line my two walk in closets in my bedroom. They are “his and hers” closets but since there is only me in my bedroom, they’re my “his and his” closets.
Third, I’m going to finish scanning all my old prints of photographs into my computer to share them with friends and family.
Fourth, I’m going to jump in again and update my family genealogy records. I’m 68 years old now. Each year goes by faster and faster and before I know it I will either check out or be too old and infirm to even get those records together. Of course I am concerned what will happen to my records (and photos) when I’m gone but there isn’t much I can do about that now. None of my relatives seem to be interested or have the time or energy to continue my work. It does concern me but I can’t worry about it.
So, all told. I do have a plan that I feel good about. Actually, for the first time in years I feel very optimistic. The past decade was a horrible decade for me and our country. Maybe it was because we didn’t have a good way to pronounce the years. Two zero zero nine doesn’t have the same ring as twenty ten. Yes, I think it will be a very good year. Hello twenty ten.
