Milestones

"Remember, remember, the Fifth of November,
The gunpowder, treason and plot.

I can think of no reason
Why the gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot."

Lest we forget....

Tomorrow, January 20th, 2009 will be a milestone.

The first African-American President of the United States of America Will take office, and the first Democratic Chief of State we've had here in the U.S. of A. in eight long, ugly years.

Thank fucking gods for that.

It's a historic milestone, for certain, and as I find myself growing older, I find myself realizing I truly am suffering the old Chinese curse:

"May you live in interesting times."

Most people say that every generation has their own milestone. The day they'll never forget. December 7th, 1941. July 16th, 1969. November 9th, 1989. September 11th, 2001.

I was alive for those last two, though the first of the final pair is a little fuzzy to me due to relative youth and cultural isolation (Appalachia in the Eighties, remember).

Is there a point to this?

Actually yes, but again, I tend to be long-winded and circular in my discourses. And if any of those dates are not familiar... and you're an American.... just.. Wiki it. My sentiments on the sad sack state of public education is a Howling Mad for another day.

(What's a Howling Mad? Well, the context should make it obvious, but if obviousness isn't your strong suit good reader -- you'll find out in due time when I post one.)

ahem

What this is all about -- aside to wish our new President health, prosperity, and above all success -- I voted for you, Sir, and I have faith in you and in the fact this country might yet be salvaged and even put back where it belongs in the global stage -- is to comment on something I muse about often in Meatspace.

My generation, those of us born in the early 1980s, are going to be the last generation who can clearly remember many things.

- Video arcades (they're getting ever-rarer with each year)

- How the world was before Personal Computers became popular.

- In my case, life before cable television.

- What life was like before we had the INTERNET (ye gods, that's probably the biggie right there!)

And I could probably go on. Technologically, the human race has progressed more in the past two decades than we had previously in the past two millenia combined. It's a scary thing to think about at times, but also.. quietly exhilarating. Last year, someone managed a working jet-pack. There is powered armor/mecha in the works, to a functional (if not anime-sized) degree in multiple laboratories. Cloning and stem-cell research promises to make Jurassic Park exactly what its creators called it in 1993: Not science fiction but a science eventuality.

And so much more.

But yes, so many milestones. So many things that will be forgotten if they're not remembered, not recorded, somewhere.

To those not familiar, in essence, that's what a bard is (despite the fact the true purpose only gets a tiny shred of recognition in the Dungeons and Dragons Third Edition character class); a bard is a lorekeeper, a tale-teller. A living memory of his or her peoples' oral traditions.

This bard's gone digital.

But yes.. President Obama.. best of luck, and I look forward to putting in another vote of good confidence in four years.

The rest of you? Never forget what you alone may still remember. No matter how trivial that pizza place that closed may seem, or how inconsequential that little moment of happiness with your college buddies might appear....

"Little things used to mean so much to Shelley. I used to thing they were so trivial. But believe me... nothing's trivial."

Regards, and be excellent to each other