Current location:	Home
Current mood:	grateful
Current music:	Tracy Chapman
Entry tags:	charity, consumerism, politics, resolutions, wedding

Consumerism, New Year's, and Health
On Consumerism:

The boy and I have officially launched ourselves into the technological age. It's sort of insane how much stuff we've now acquired. A new hand mixer, iPod docking station, carpet, tv stand (matches the bookshelf), and a rather large flat screen TV. When did I become surrounded by all new things? I'm not sure if I should be more concerned about the fact that I'm a full fledged North American consumer, living the American TV dream or the fact that all of this stuff obviously indicates that I'm getting old and that 32 is the year of full blown material adulthood.

On the bright side, I can't think of one single thing that the house needs now? Well, aside from some more organic sugar (but that's groceries).

On New Year's:

I just got a long (sorry) but very sweet email pondering the nature of the past year and full of well wishes for the upcoming year that now has me thinking about the past year and year to come. I don't know, 2008 feels like it's been a really big year both personally and globally.

Personally:
Was hired as a college teacher, finished thesis, defended thesis, went home, got engaged, graduated, got a full time career job, moved in with the boy, started sponsoring a 5 year old Nepali girl (thus fulfilling a long held dream/goal), started planning a wedding, booked wedding venue, little brother got engaged, good friend had her first baby, one of my best friends moved back into the country, started donating money to Oxfam (also long held goal), started paying back student loans (not so much a goal but the realization that I could afford to pay them back was pretty sweet), went to Boston (another big dream), um... yeah, I think that's all I can remember for now. It was busy and big! How on earth is 32 going to top that? Oh yeah, I'm getting married in 2009!

Globally:
One word: Obama-mania!

Ok, not really one word but in summary: The world continues to defy my expectations for humanity. Yup, that's a horrible thing to say but I have to say that 2008, aside from the overwrought hope placed in Obama, the world just hasn't been a good place in the past year and I currently have a bleak view of the world (maybe it's the fact that Harper, my nemesis, got re-elected for a 2nd time, thus betraying my vain belief that being Cdn was better than being American and that my beliefs were pretty common). Yes, 2008 was the year that officially made me realize that after the brutal 20 something age realization that I am not unique and that it's all been done before, that in fact, I am unique and different because my views are not as commonly shared as I was believed. Thank you Canada and global politics for making it possible for me to reclaim my individuality, albeit in a rather disappointing, bitter fashion. I admit it, the past year made me question the possibility of ever having children in a world so bleak and a future inheritance so full of gloom, even while having a year so full of personal joy. That's sad enough of a statement that it makes me want to cry, even as I write it.

However, while the world continues to disappoint (Isreal refuses truce, 10 more dead Cdn soldiers, Mumbai bombings, and others) and we continue to kill ourselves and the earth in the name of political and material progress, I do have hope that next year will be better. Obama will hopefully live up to his electoral promises and, since Harper doesn't do anything without American approval, Canada may once again be a nation that I am proud to call home.

On Health:

The past year hasn't been the best healthwise and if there is one resolution that I hope to make for the new year, is to treat myself (both emotionally and physically) better, starting with a very frivolous but well deserved facial scheduled in January.


On a side note, full of glee:

Mayla continues to prove her allegiance to me and keeps sleeping on the boy's pillow, much to his dismay and my amusement. For some reason she likes leaving her hair on his pillow. Welcome to cat ownership!

So ends another philosophical Wednesday musing...