I’m not speaking politically, although surely a case can be made for that. I mean, personally.
Editor’s note: Centuries, like decades, start on the year one. So, the 21st century started in 2001, despite what all of your parties thought.
Career-wise, as the 20th century wound down I was an IT director at a major textbook publisher. The new century brought an acquiring company that shut us down and laid most of us off. Sure, I spent some fun years in a startup, but those should have been my prime earning years. And while the startup was mostly a great experience, I surely didn’t do much prime earning.
More recently, this century has also taken a toll on people close to me. My mom, my stepdad, and both my in-laws all passed away over the last few years. Aunts and uncles and a friend or two left us as well.
Not a great time.
This century also killed two vehicles I’d purchased last century, that we had driven a combined 490,000 miles or so. OK, maybe I can’t blame the century for that one…
And speaking of vehicles traveling hundreds of thousands of miles, this century saw the end of the US manned space program. No shuttles, no rockets. WTF, NASA? We were supposed to be living on the moon by now. Instead, we’re forced to bum rides off the Russians.
And where the hell is my flying car?!?
My Yankees? They broke my heart in 2001, and made up for it in 2009, but they have teased me for too long. They’ve won at least one World Series in every decade since the 1920’s, but they’re in real danger of blowing that streak in the next few years.
Oh, and AARP? STFU with your regular mailings now. You’re sending me news I don’t want to hear yet.
!
Still, there’s a whole bunch of century stretching out in front of me. There’s time to turn this century around. C’mon, 21st, we can do this.
Work with me, damn you.