2000 vs 2010

Can you remember where you were New Years Eve 1999? Wherever it was, we all had one thing in common. A nagging thought in the back of our minds that when the clock struck 12.00 pm and the bells began to ring in a new millennium, disaster was going to strike. The World’s computers would crash and fail, sending everything into total confusion and meltdown! This is what we had been told by the people who were in the know. Engineers and computer experts from around the world had spoken their fears and predicted disaster.

Well, the bells rang out and we all held our breath. The second hand clicked around the clock. As it struck one second into the year 2000 the worlds technology held firm. It never missed a beat. The end of the world as we knew it didn’t happen and as I drank myself silly in a Jakarta bar surrounded by all my friends, a lot of so called experts let out a united sigh of relief.

It doesn’t seem like 10 years ago that was all happening. When I look back, I really do wonder where the years went.

On that New Years Eve in Jakarta I was driven home by Sumarno my trusty chauffeur, I was greeted at the door by my ever attentive maid Febri. As I stumbled into the house and headed to bed, the outside temperature was around 32 degrees.

This New Years Eve we partied at home, any driving needing done would be done by me and even although Anna sometimes says to the contrary, I now have no maids. The temperature was also a little different. A character building -27 was showing on the thermometer as we greeted in the year 2010 with Maria and Marcus.

If someone had told me in 2000 that I would in 10 years time be living on a farm in a small town (is it really a town?) in Sweden I would definitely have ordered a large one of what ever they were drinking.

In 2000 a 5 kilometer car journey could take an hour due to traffic and the only time I ever felt cold was when the air conditioner was set too high. Jetting off to Bali or Singapore for the weekend was common practice and carrying your own golf clubs was not allowed, the clubs where we played insisted you use a caddie.

In 2010 driving the 6 kilometers into Sunne from Ingmår takes me all of 7 minutes, on a slow day. When the outside temperature sits around -10 we all say how nice it is to be outside. I carry my own clubs on the golf course and every so often drive to Karlstad not for the weekend, but it is a day out!

In 2010 if someone told me I could go back to the life I had in 2000 would I go? Never, what I have now is worth so much more. We all at times have nagging doubts in our minds about things we think may happen and we listen far too often to people who we think know better than we do. Life is all about living and finding the things that are truly important and really matter. Circumstances change around us all the time and it’s not always for the better, but if we are in control of our lives and we are the ones orchestrating the changes then the rewards are all the sweeter.

In finishing, I have to say that I do miss having a driver; and if I´m honest a maid, I suppose I would also like a weekend in Bali, but hey nothing is perfect.
Any thoughts or questions please let me know.

David