First Principles

My blog has been pretty sparse this month, which is a function of a lot of things.  I’ve been particularly busy at work, my wife’s addiction to WordTwist on Facebook has grown, I’ve had family in town, and we attended a lot of holiday parties.

But the biggest reason is that a blog is often fueled by complaining.  And I just haven’t been too much in the mood to complain this past month.

Not that there isn’t some gnarly world events swirling around us.  The Blagojovich scandal, the new Israeli war, the economic crisis, and Obama punting on all of it…

But for me, 2008 has been a wonderful year.  It’s the first year I’ve ever lived in a place indefinitely, with a job that didn’t come with a pre-determined expiration date.  My wife and I both were able to buy new cars (well, new for us, and almost new in any event – and they’re the nicest cars either of us have ever owned).  We upgraded many of our home’s furnishings.  We’ve been able to eat out when we wanted, save some money back, enjoy a good wine now and again, and travel around the country to visit friends and family from Homer, Alaska to Norman, Oklahoma.  Our hard work and good decisions earlier in life, along with a bit of luck and blessings, are paying off – neither of us are in fear of losing our jobs or our house.  My dog and I got our first bird on a hunting trip.

This Christmas my dad, his wife, and my sister visited our home for the first time, and it was the best Christmas I’ve had in many years.  It even snowed here in Reno – a nice, white, fluffy Christmas snow that was gone within a few days and fell at a time when commuters were largely not trying to get to work.

Our home lost value, and my 401(k) tanked.  But we’re still young, and the low market is an opportunity right now to invest in solid companies on the cheap, without a lot to lose if we’re wrong.  We’re not moving any time soon, so we don’t have to worry about losing money on the house.

For the first time, I participated in a political campaign.  Even though we lost rather badly in this state, I met some great people, had a good time, got some good exercise walking around neighborhoods, and learned a lot.  And even though my candidate lost, there are reasons to be happy with that, too.

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Even with this blog, I’ve gained new readers, refined and (I’d like to think) improved my writing skills, and bolstered and polished my political philosophies.  Thanks to everyone who has E-mailed, commented, and otherwise helped fire the forge of debate which is critical to making that happen.

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I am eternally optimistic, and I believe that I have Conservatism to thank for that – at least in part.  The nice thing about being a conservative is that you believe earthly life is, or at least should be, largely in your own hands.  There is nothing more depressing to be than feeling like I have to wait around for or depend on other people over whom I have no control.

But optimism follows freedom, because with freedom comes endless possibility and promise.  A grown man living in his mother’s basement dependent on her for his food and laundry and lodging has very little to be excited about, and little to hope for, since he already knows what he’s getting and likewise knows the limits of what he can expect.

Too many people in this country voted to live in Barack Obama’s basement, thinking it’s a new mom who might be able to cook better or maybe clean up after us some more.  But it won’t be long before they realize Obama isn’t any better at taking care of us than any other politician (and in fact, will probably be substantially worse).  At any rate, there is a limit to what government can do for us, and once that limit is reached, hope and optimism for his believers and disciples will evaporate.  (He hasn’t even taken the oath of office yet, and it’s already begun in many quarters…)

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And so with all that, it’s difficult to be unhappy.  It’s hard to complain.  It’s even a little hard to get fired up enough to blog – although my holiday slacking is, I assure you, only temporary…

In fact, every year of my life has been better than the year before it, and I anticipate 2009 to be no different.

So thank you to all of the many friends I’m so blessed to have, to the family members, old and new, who support me, and to my wife most of all who loves me more than I deserve, and who I love more than I thought possible.  Thanks for a great year past, and the expectation of even better ones to follow.  I love you all, and am more grateful to you than any of you can know.