Living in Historic Times

The card pictured here was sent into PostSecret, an online gallery of postcard-sized images posted anonymously to unveil a secret, and I am humored by the sentiment as I had been thinking the same thing.

Yes, we’ve heard (and some have experienced) the awful stories of lost jobs, defaulted loans, foreclosed houses, and people struggling to make ends meet. There are whispers comparing the current state of the economy to the Great Depression and the recession of the 1970s.

But if there’s even a hint of a silver lining to this whole mess, it’s that we are living in historic times. We’ll be able to tell our children of the dark times that were the late-00s. And its how we weather this difficult period that will be written into the history books of the future.

A Darker Perspective on the Election Results

I know that what I’m about to say is pessimistic and cynical, but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t voice how I felt.

Over the past week, with the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States, we’ve heard words that have been all but forgotten over the last eight years – openness, hope, change.

BUT – The fanaticism of Obama supporters scares me. (I know, I know, pretty ironic to say since I’m a supporter…)

Maybe it’s my Russian heritage or my Jewish faith (or BOTH!) that make me distrustful of a government and its leaders, but when someone in a position of power has such a strong following it makes me nervous. Right now our president-elect is using his influence for “good”, but what if he decided to use it for “evil”?

Again, let me be clear, the identity of the individual himself does not really matter, it’s the willingness of a large, collective group of people to do whatever the individual says that makes me a bit uneasy.

I can only hope that my fears are unfounded and that the next four (or more!) years will be marked by an era of openness, one that brings very positive change.

2008 Election Results