Paul Krugman of the New York Times calls the now departing decade, “Decade Zero.” My wife and I are traveling this week to visit three of our six grandchildren, and to me Krugman’s math is suspect. I have at least six reasons, all born in this decade, to come up with a different equation.

We flew from Seattle to Austin on Christmas Day along with a full planeload of other families, grandparents and holiday travelers. On landing, I was appalled to hear of the bombing attempt on Flight 253. And in the same moment I was thankful for the passengers and crew of that flight, for their courage and action. Even suffering through flight delays and aggravating security procedures didn't seem to dampen my spirit or that of my fellow travelers. In fact I am quite thankful for those procedures and the people who make it possible for me to visit my grandchildren as often as I do.

Instead of zero, I see this decade as one of incredible change. These changes could be viewed only from the context of socio-economic, physical and religious conflicts. But that viewpoint is probably too limiting and masks the deeper changes that spark those conflicts. Four changes that underlie the events of this decade include:

The Internet: who can deny that for the first time in human history the dream of everyone on this planet being connected is becoming reality. Instead of people being described by their differences it is now possible to describe them by their common nature. We can now share our stories as they happen, simultaneously destroying myths and cultural filters.

Global aspirations: the affluence and aspirations of large parts of the planet’s population are rising. With exponentially rising world population and competition for resources, the roles of nations and peoples have to be rebuilt, often in ways we don’t yet understand. At a minimum, our awareness of these changes has increased in this decade.

Planetary system awareness: our science isn’t perfect and many times the ethics of our thought, economic and political leaders are very questionable, but we are becoming aware that humanity can have a significant impact on our total well-being. We are also becoming aware how important integrity and ethical behavior is to our survival.

Decline in materialism: perhaps it will take some time to see that relying solely on the principles of materialism to solve our problems doesn’t work. Throughout this decade it has been the stories of inspired people and actions we want to remember. And these inspiring people are often unnamed. They are the uncommon people we live and work with everyday. They make the difference in our lives and we know who they are.


This last decade has not been a zero. It is true some old myths and beliefs have been challenged by events and forces in this decade. It is also true we have had to make some significant changes in our habits and lifestyles. Our understanding of the world has grown, and our willingness to look at ourselves has changed. These changes will continue by necessity, causing us to learn and adapt even more. As for our grandchildren, I think they will learn from us and help bring truth and light to the new world. And now it is time to go play with them some more.

Have a Happy and Joyous New Year!