Some of the Most Defining Moments of the Decade

A decade ago today, I was not at my computer writing. My knowledge and the options for writing on line were much more limited as I recall. To me, the Internet was quite a 'new bird'. I wasn't as relaxed as I am now either. The Internet as I knew it was dispelling a lot of information about the Y2K bug. Not too many laymen knew too much about the bug except that it was going to occur at midnight when the year changed to 2000 and all computers in the world would go haywire and no one would be able to bank or communicate. We would have no power or communication and this would lead to a series of events that had everyone buying bottled water and canned foods. Many created underground shelters and even for us unbelievers, as the clock ticked we even began to wonder. I admit to getting a bit curious as the week progressed and generators became harder to come by. However, I didn't stock up or buy into it and therefore I had a great New Year's Eve. Nothing happened! It was a cruel rumor with an astounding anti-climatic ending.

The Year 2000- A whole lot went on that year but I will always remember it as the 'Year of The Hanging Chad'. Chad happened to be my ex-husband's name and I knew it was a country in Africa but until that moment in November, 2000, I had absolutely no idea that 'Hanging Chad' would every be used in the same sentence and actually become a household word.

The Year 2001- I had an appointment up the road at Canadian Tire for a safety check on my vehicle. This was on the morning of September 11th. I took a look up at the television in the waiting room on my way out because people were becoming affixed to it. The first terrorist attack on the World Trade Center was being broadcast. I ran home while I was waiting for my car. I called my sister who lived in the States and by that time the other attack was being shown on the television. I felt frightened and stunned. This event and the way it changed the world would certainly be my defining moment of that year.

The Year 2002- Andrea Yates drowned her five children in the bathtub. On June 20th we heard that a married mother of five drowned all her children while her husband was at work. I am a mother and over the years have bathed a lot of children many times. I just couldn't comprehend what could possess someone to do that. The act made me cry more than once over the year and although it has been a while, I am still tearing up just writing about it.

The Year 2003- On March 20th, the invasion of Iraq by the United States began. This was defining as it meant more children killed and I was sure I didn't agree with it. Lots of Canadians felt the same way I did and I recall this being the year that I delved into politics a bit more and decided to become a more educated voter. I learned a lot that year about the world and myself.

The Year 2004 -This year will remain the most memorable to me because it was a leap year. That wouldn't normally override all the other 'once in a lifetime' world events but I had my own 'once in a lifetime' event happening. I was expecting my first grandchildren . My daughter was in labor throughout February 28th and we were waiting for a possible leap year baby. She gave birth a few hours shy and after that the leap year wasn't important at all. Reilly Jacob Parker entered the world and it hasn't been the same since.

The Year 2005 - Pope John Paul II died on April 2nd. I'm not even Catholic but at some point I took note of this pope and it had developed into an interest and then a respect. I had seen the young people come to Niagara Falls on their pilgrimage from all over the world and I had been impressed when so many young people traveled to Toronto to hear him speak and to renew their faith. He was a great spiritual leader and I was sad along with so many others when he passed away.

The Year 2006- Some milk truck driver named Charles Roberts went into an Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and singled out the female students, killing five girls. As a child, I had traveled to Amish country with my grandparents on vacations a few times. I was always fascinated with their mysterious way of life and my grandmother would buy be novels at roadside gas stations that I still have today. They were about the Amish girls who were my age at the time and titled simply with a girl's name followed by 'Of The Amish'. For some years I daydreamed about the possibilities of that simple and old fashioned life. Being a mother and grandmother by this time, this event really shook me and I prayed harder than usual for the families involved.

The Year 2007- Apparently I was going through a more shallow period of my life at this point because my defining crisis was the Writer's Guild of America Strike. Along with many of my friends, I had never contemplated a 'melt down' such as this before. I think all of us were paying for cable or satellite in order to satisfy our ongoing need for cheap entertainment. A lot of us were hooked on the various series that were effected. Thinking back, it is almost laughable because we all survived quite well, but it was a big deal at the time.

The Year 2008 -Gas Prices went through the roof. I was working the next town at the time and this year will be defined by the unbelievable stress that I experienced in trying to budget outrageous gas costs. I am usually on a tight budget but this expenditure was beginning to effect how I looked at transportation. A huge chunk of my unremarkable pay went to filling my tank and it caused me to never take running an automobile for granted ever again.

The Year 2009- President Barack Obama became the 44th President of The United States and the first African American President. Being Canadian, I couldn't vote but I loved the guy from the start! It did close off my decade with a defining moment that made me believe that despite all the bad things, progress is being made. I felt very proud for my African American neighbors and for all of the United States. I kept my son home from school to watch this on television and I shed a tear or 100 of happiness.

I encourage everyone to reflect on their defining moments throughout the decade. Just like the snowflakes that are landing on my window at this very moment, I doubt that any two will be exactly the same.