Today marks the end of a turbulent, busy year both in this blog and in the media's created landscape commonly thought of as "the news." Sadly, I haven't a lot of time to write a lengthy "year in review" piece but I would like to roll the calendar back to last January which, on this blog anyway, started with the tragedy of the Gabby Giffords shooting. I had predicted, semi-accurately, that it would be nary an after-thought by now given some quick mentions in whatever year wrap up news specials one might encounter. I was pleased, however, that what news did come out of that story was the rather miraculous one of her recovery. It was truly inspiring to see her in action and to get a look into her recovery via 20/20's Dianne Sawyer interview. I am not sure I expected that and despite the horrors of that day in January 2011 she has persevered. So, for whatever reason that is the story that captured my attention more than any other this year.
Otherwise, it has been yet another year of splintered division and a sick, sad display of a Congress in full on obstinate sloth. Republicans and their single focused drive to see Obama fail has driven this country to the edge, again, and I can only brace and watch to see what comes of 2012. I do not expect any change for the better and honestly hope for Obama's re-election almost simply to spite those so fiercely opposed. Neither side is actually on our side and that's where this metaphorical, political knife is most twisted in our collective guts friends. We are divided and conquered and obsessed over our own biases and tunnel vision points of view that it interferes with even the idea of progress. We cannot move forward and we can no longer see eye to eye and we all want to blame the other, who or what ever that may be. With the 2012 election cycle going into full swing this year I can't see it get anything but uglier, hideous, intolerable.
Those on the right will be swinging for the fences and do anything and everything to keep those on the left out of the race or at home, feasting on their disappointment and disillusionment with the Obama administration. Those few who still play on Obama's team will do all they can to show that he has done good things, try to keep ignoring all the bad things. It may not matter much as there is no credible threat on the right as I wager they are ultimately stocking up their good wood for 2016. In the end, it will continue to be us, the "people" that lose. We claw and dream and hope and bray all to almost no affect as we are just the noise, the chattel, the common fat of the land that can ultimately be expendable to the will of those who are the haves. If anything that is the lesson that came into sharper focus for myself, that all the insults, television fireworks, and opinions I have expressed at the parlor game of American politics it is a game I am not really playing in anymore that I am actually participating in a fantasy football league. My interests are not being looked out for by anyone other than myself. We can't maintain our status as greatest country in the world if we continue to carry on this way.
All that said, I must also be vigilant in reminding myself that despite all of the above I am still fortunate, more fortunate than most of the rest of the world and squabbling, ideological bickering aside, our generation needs that reminder that we have way more to be happy about than they we give ourselves credit for. Or ability to recognize while we complain about the latest changes in the Star Wars movies, slow downloading speed of our smart phones, or how our last 50 billion calorie meal at Applebee's was not as good as it should have been we remember how easy we really have it. Once in a while, anyway. Or we can continue to waste time blaming Hollywood for making Muppet movies that are trying to teach our children to be communists, anti-corporations and to hate oil companies. Whatever floats your boat, I guess.
Here's to a good 2012! The final year.
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