Ten years ago tonight, my thoughts were of Millennium and disaster. I knew the year 2000 neither began the 21st century nor the 3rd Millennium, but it always excites me to see the odometer slip into multiple zeros.
I had decided to see in 2000 alone, thoughtfully and quietly. I bought bottled water – my only acquiescence to Y2K fears that had people hording food and money and guns – and planned an evening of reflection and reserved celebration. Around 11:00 p.m., I turned off the tv and listened to music while my New Haven apartment was lit only by candle light.
For the last half hour of 1999, I blew out a candle every 5 minutes until only one remained to be blown out at midnight. Then I sat in my quiet dark apartment and heard the sound of the year 2000 beginning: cold quiet broken by the sound of some idiot firing a gun into the night off in the distance.
And thus began my own annus horribilis, the beginning of one of the worst periods in my life. More on that another time. I'm here to wish you well.
I wish you all, a Happy and Wonderful 2010. I am planning on having a great one too. It's on my "To Do" list.
Here. Some music to start your New Year:
("I'm still very obsessed with this song)
And a Magnetic Field's song by Tracey Thorn & Jens Lenkman
Have a Happy!
