New years
01/01/01
Happy New Years
Here’s my pseudo Kurt Vonegut rant that should be on ii stix shortly.
Hope you’re doing well.
Much love
Min Jung
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2K-1
Hey, remember when I was going to coin this decade the 2ks? Well welcome to 2K1.
Last year was 2KO and in many ways was also a TKO. It wiped me out in a lot of ways but I’m happy, and I’m reminded of how good it is to be alive.
Pause a moment, and get a glass of wine as you read the following thoughts.
Read slowly, and imagine that we’re sitting together on a comfortable couch, sipping wine, and trying to gather together the magnitude and the personal experiences of the last year. Sit with me, relax, and let me place my feet upon your lap as I close my eyes and chat with you.
This past year has been a doozy. Forever it was perceived as an over-hyped event, the millennium, with fears of the millennium but and chaos. We were greeted into the new year with a flurry of light and rivers on fire, pyramids aglow and sweet kisses, good food, and champagne.
We saw reality TV and greed obsess the nation as more people failed to live their own lives and instead indulged in contrived voyeurism en masse and for what? Money. We asked “Is that your final answer” and saw a newly wed divorce her millionaire within weeks when she decided that “I do” really wasn’t.
We saw gay TV and we liked it. Not because it had to prove anything other than the inherent talent and good writing and entertainment that it was.
We also saw much more than we wanted to about a testicular biopsy and confused as to how to react.
We listened to the anthem of Independent Women as ladies like the Charlie’s Angels, Dark Angel Jessica Alba, and Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi kicked much ass on the big screen.
We listened to way too much bubble gum pop. And yeah, we even enjoyed it.
We saw a Korean win a Nobel Peace Prize.
We learned the value of dry-cleaning blue dresses, cigars, and of keeping phone calls from being recorded by ugly women “friends”.
We learned the value and ultimate importance of voting as an election comedy unraveled, proving once and for all that America is a truly civilized and sarcastic nation that does not erupt into chaos following election debacles, but instead retreated into sardonic comedy for which I’ll always be thankful to Jon Stewart.
We learned about shaking our maracas shamelessly, and that sometimes the best films surrender the hero to death and we cannot help but love the gladiators and wudan warriors more for it.
Personally, I have been exposed to a broad range of experiences and a nearly overwhelming range of emotions.
A senseless death, and a few joyful and healthy births, love abounding in weddings, and the resignation of defeat for divorce. Glee over dotcom success and then the confusion and disillusionment of dotcom failures. Love purely and truly found, and then lost - still regretted. Two moves with my career and two moves with my earthly possessions. A sense of violation and a sense of rage. A desire to humble others and a hard learned lesson in humility for myself.
And too many cigarettes.
Like I said, it’s been a doozy. And if I sound a little pedantic, I hope you’ll forgive me, gentle readers. These are just the thoughts rising to the surface of this meditative and perhaps slightly (hic) inebriated mind.
Should I make resolutions for the next year?
I’d like for everyone to make the following resolution. To try and be kind and honorable over the next year. To realize that every day of this year, makes one able to have impact, and to enjoy life well. To be gentle with our own hearts and bodies, and exceptionally kind with the hearts and bodies of others. To kiss our elders often and listen to their rambles with patience and respect. To impart a recognition of responsibility and humility to those that are our peers and younger than us. To live in each moment and to attribute thanks to God and whichever powers that be that we are able to enjoy the upcoming year that is now upon us with great opportunity and grace.
Enough of my rants.
Hoping everybody knocks boots in 2001. (Maybe even me)
Min Jung
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