Lincoln or Log Cabin?

In an unabashedly pompous way, James Cameron’s Avatar steals actual dialogue, plot, story-lines and basically every other important component possible from himself and clichés in making one bad film I wish I had not spent time watching or paying to see. (It’s a push-- if I could get back the time or the money—today I think I would have preferred to reclaim the 3 hours of viewing and half hour to and fro...we’ll see what tomorrow brings.)

The year 2009 took a big toll on me emotionally, physically and every possible way. Unlike the millions out of work, I did not lose my job. I lost a little in the retirement account, but hey, who didn’t? The worst loss for me this year was hopefulness and that scares me more than anything else.  Because despite the fact that Avatar was an example of horrid excess, at least one director is still delusinal enought to believe he did something fantastic. 

Today I was asked to explain my ho-hum attitude about 2010 to a mentor and she asked whether or not I had set the bar a bit too high for what was realistic in the last few years. It’s not the first time someone has asked me if I thought my expectations were a tad high. When she posed this question, it was in the nicest of ways, but I chuckled and thought, yes. I’ve always thought large and set out to accomplish things. However, in the last few years I haven’t really done anything. I think I’ve just been getting by, but for me, that’s not okay. On the happiness scale, I’ve lost more than I’ve gained and embracing 2010 if only because it’s not 2009, that seems perfectly fine.

Oddly enough the first few hours I was back in Oregon, Woodburn to be exact, I was given monetary change after a purchase which included brand new pennies with images I had never seen before. I felt lucky, especially noting that this extraordinary 16th POTUS, the guy responsible for more actionable change in America than any other President, in my humble opinion, has his mug on the lowest level of currency possible. This shiny beautiful one cent with a log cabin on the back brought me a bit of hope.  I'm not sure why but I felt a little better after holding the coins in my hand and making sure that teach of my parents hand one.

Today's offering is something from my own mind, questions I wish I had answers to:

Head's, Please

Are my expectations lowering,
or am I learning how to live in the real world?

In a place that changes faster than I can keep pace,
where few unexplored lives breathe
and forms of expression are brought to brief life
by individuals craving to lose face.

All for the price of one shiny penny
or less, but perhaps that's all it takes.
As Lincoln said, “The best thing about the future
 is that it only comes one day at a time.”