Making Sense of the "00's"

We have at last said goodbye to the “00’s,” branded “The Decade from Hell” by Time magazine. As human beings, we are preconditioned to label and organize our experiences in the context of time.

“The Decade from Hell” moniker probably resonates with most people. Our country and our world have been racked by unprecedented economic turmoil, natural disasters and a variety of manmade crises. Every one of us has been touched by these chaotic events and experienced some degree of material and/or psychological loss. Our stability, wealth, security, confidence and peace have been severely tested.

Though the hellacious epitaph for the passing decade seems apropos, it overshadows the many advances, opportunities and miracles that have occurred during the past ten years. Just ask the 155 survivors of US Airways flight 1549. The aircraft lost power at 3,200 feet but landed safely in the 36⁰ water of the Hudson River with no one being seriously injured or killed. Not compelling enough? How about the successful mapping of the human genome, which holds promise for curing or preventing all kinds of diseases? A bit incomprehensible? Consider the viral expansion of social media, a cultural and technical revolution that has given a voice to virtually anyone on the planet with access to the Internet. Still not moved? How about the election of our country’s first black president, fulfilling the hopes and dreams of millions?

If none of the above events hit home for you, think about the “minor” miracles you have personally witnessed or experienced since Y2K, like the birth of a baby, rehabilitation from a life-threatening addiction or the resurrection of relationship that you had long given up for dead. These examples of profound joy and grace are all around us, if we look for them.

Making sense of our experiences, and, more importantly, learning from them, requires objectivity and careful reflection. We need the patience and fortitude to examine the details, wrestle with paradox and develop a balanced perspective. These challenging disciplines are sometimes too taxing for our modern minds and busy schedules. It is easier for us to sort things into neat piles of absolutes – all good, all bad or all ugly. But, we need to avoid the dangers of shallow thinking and generalization.  

Generalization, especially when negative, is the enemy of deep learning while being the friend of short sightedness and bias. To be sure, there have been many villains, victims and indiscriminate tragedies over the past decade. We have seen examples of hell unleashed. Objectivity demands, however, that we also acknowledge that the "00's" have produced numerous heroes, determined survivors and instances of God-given grace. Each day, week, month, year and decade we live on planet Earth will include a mix of challenges and opportunities, triumphs and tragedies, and inexplicably good and bad experiences. When we acknowledge this, it paves the ways for wisdom, endurance and hope.

Charles Dickens’ conclusion may provide the most accurate and eloquent way to summarize the “00’s,” and perhaps every decade before and after.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair…”

Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities
English novelist (1812 - 1870)