Gee, where did 2012 go? I didn’t even see the screen door slap it on its way out. Good thing, too, because there was quite a bit of negativity going on, and more than a few of us would like 2013 to get here so we can start fresh, even if we in America do wind up taking a header off the so-called fiscal cliff.
Jobs are still hard to find, and the government still can’t figure out how to handle money. Nature sent us Sandy, along with major drought and fires during the peak of summer. All the good celebrities from the golden era are going to the great proscenium in the sky. The bad guys shoot up schools and movie theatres, then kill themselves to avoid arrest.
On the other hand, people have reached out and sacrificed their money, organs, homes and valuable time to help others. Compassion still hasn’t been killed by a storm or a mad gunman. Volunteerism won’t bow to bureaucrats or high gas prices.
The top television shows may involve corporate greed (Madmen) or zombies (The Walking Dead), and the guilty pleasure/teen must-see film was fifth in a series of vampire movies (Breaking Dawn Part II), or moviegoers took a new look at an old favorite franchise (The Dark Knight Rises), but at least we do go to the movies. DVD rentals have not stopped the unique experience of gathering in a theatre.
Men of status continue to make bad choices, straying from the love and support of their wives and families to enjoy pleasures of the flesh elsewhere. Women of celebrity status can’t keep from getting arrested for stupid things. And then there’s Honey Boo-Boo, which I can’t begin to categorize.
And there’s Gangnam Style, which should be a workout video or at least encourage people to go out and ride horses (if you look up how to do the dance, you’ll know what I mean).
Magazines like Newsweek have gone all digital. That’s creepy. Sure, tablets and smart phones are cool, but give me a hard, holdable stack of paper bound with staples anytime. I’m not giving up my magazines.
Stores are closing. Locally we are losing a SuperFresh and lost a Pathmark, because people are going to swank shopping destinations like Wal-Mart and Wegman’s. Wal-Mart? I still cringe when I spot a banana in the produce aisle at Target, because I don’t think I want to buy food where I buy my underwear.
Lightbulbs are going out of style, with our standard bulbs (which have worked without fail since their invention) being replaced by energy-saving versions which give light only after they take a few moments to answer the summons of the light switch. This is progress?
Sure, we go backwards and forwards, and often not for the right things or good reasons. The coming year won’t change that. At least we can start with a clean agenda and, just maybe, come up with a better review next December.
Susan's Scribblings the Blog 