As the clocked ticked towards midnight in a relatively quiet bar in Philadelphia on December 31, 2008, I couldn’t help thinking: Get it over with already. This year was awful! Check out our 10 Stories That Defined 2008. You will not find a whole lot of “good news.”
But still, I asked everyone (3 out of 5 of my college housemates) to say the best thing in the 2008. Answers included PR-ing a race (2) and Obama winning. (1) When it was my turn, I was so excited for 2009 to come that I almost couldn’t think of anything I’d liked about 2008 at all. Then I remembered: Sarah Palin.
Roomie: Really? Wasn’t she kind of a bad thing?
Roomie 2: She made me ill…or the idea of her as VP did.
Me: I agree. But she’s not VP
Roomie 2: True. Now I do see that she is kind of funny.
Roomie 1: Actually, I see what you’re saying. Hating her inspired me to be really feisty in ways that felt witty, and productive.
Me: See? You could really say, “Sarah Palin brought out the best in all of us. She helped us reach new heights as people.”
So, Sarah, you were the first woman to be Republican Candidate for VP and you were a great help in expanding my mind, and my personal limits. For example, now I no longer associate the word “Maverick” with Tom Cruise or Top Gun. Thank you.
[A close second for Best Thing in 2008 was doing the 25 mile course of the Tour De Bronx. This bike ride also brought out the best in me me and helped me attain new heights as a person. But it only lasted one day, and didn’t affect quite as many as Sarah. And when making best of lists, it’s always best to opt for the Zeitgeist.]
Happy New Year!
Not Technically Tech 