Y2K

Back in the 1980’s I began thinking about the approaching
millennium. It was cool that barring the unforeseen I was going
to enter a new century with my family. I wondered what it would
feel like, what we’d all be doing when 1999 left and 2000 began.


By the end of 1999, all I wanted was for that year and century to
be done and gone. 1999 has to have been the worst year of my
life so far.


My mom was diagnosed with cancer and was gone by mid-year.


The bookstore chain I worked went out of business and the
store I managed closed within a few weeks of my mother’s death.
I can’t recall if it was before or after because compared to Mom
the store was insignificant.


I had to find a new job and move to a new apartment. I took a
position with a video store chain and between working and
moving managed to put myself in the hospital for 2 days. By the
end of the year it was becoming clear the job had been a mistake
and I would leave it by the following February.


The apartment hunting turned out better than the job hunting
and I’ve been here for 8 years now.


As New Years Eve drew closer I worried over whether my
computer was going to survive. My online friend Diana was also
my computer guru and helped me find and install a patch that
was supposed to help.


I’ve had to work on New Years Day for many years so I spent
the night before the usual way. I stayed home and counted down
the clock with the tv on and chatting online with friends. Midnight
came, the century turned and both civilization and my computer
continued to function. Either I called my sister or she called me,
we exchanged “Happy New Years!” and after I waited up to see
in the Millennium with Diana(she lived in Missouri at the time) I
went to bed and then got up for work the next day. This
will be the first New Year in ten years without that vigil with
Diana.


So, the worst year of my life ended and I did what millions of
people all around the world do when faced with hard times.


I got on with my life.