Claiming Victory on the Longest Day

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

Gang: It has been awhile since I posted one of my contemplative ramblings. For those of you who have enjoyed these in the past, read on.

Anticipation. Waiting for that which cannot be resolved (no matter how much we try) to resolve itself, once and for all. I think January 1, 2000 promises to be a very long day indeed. The Longest Day. Many of us will be awake and taking an interest in the rollover as it first happens half a world away, whereas in previous New Years we simply were content to wait for it locally.

Some will look to this day for vindication - one way or the other. Unless it is clearly black or white, all will claim victory. Those who thought Y2K was real and serious will point to examples of failures, those who said bump in the road will point to their own different examples of things just being fine. But what, if anything, will either have proved? Only that there are rose-colored glasses and Y2K-colored glasses.

Y2K does not end on 1/1/2000. Whatever victories there are will be for the battle, not the war. Still, human nature will assert itself, for victories, even small ones, are nonetheless still victories. They will be claimed, in a futile quest for finality and closure, a finality which in reality more often than not escapes us like sand running through our fingers.

Sometimes I feel like we are speeding towards the Longest Day as the weeks and months pass by on the calendar so very quickly. Yet at the same time our waiting seems to be going on, ironically, crazily, in slow motion. Will the Longest Day go by quickly? And afterwards, what? Then comes the rest of what, eventually, the historians will refer to as Y2K. I wonder if they will be wearing any glasses.

-- Rob Michaels (sonfodust@net.com), May 14, 1999

Answers

Hi Rob, I will reserve my decision about how well or not everything is working until after several business days into the year. If things seem fine, or the failures are not well reported, I still will feel somewhat uncomfortable until the month of January has come and gone without incident.

nobody

-- nobody (nobody@nowhere.com), May 14, 1999.


Rather than the just "longest" day (a 24-hour burp?) ... I'll be paying attention to the longest 6 months ...

October 1, 1999 through April 1, 2000.

It will either be the time of dirty windows, shattered glass, and/or glass blowing ... to fix the broken global window-panes.

Diane

(BTW, Rob can you "e" me? Thanks).

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 14, 1999.


Hi Diane. Just checked back in here. Good news and bad news about sending you an e.

Bad news is I still don't have a valid e. Good news is I will be getting setup with a web mail box and puter by the end of June and I promise that you will be among the first to know. I have the feeling I am missing a lot since others have also asked about this. I just need a little more money and a little more time. Anyway, it's in the works and I'll let you know.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), May 14, 1999.


Rob,

Sign up for a FREE one at Yahoo Rob! It's easy. Then you can get your private one later!

(You can also check it from anywhere).

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 14, 1999.


Diane: That is what I intend to do. Either Yahoo or dejanews or excite. Once things are set up I will let you know why I needed to wait for now.

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@net.com), May 14, 1999.


The Longest Day is here.

Finality and closure elude us.

Sand runs through our fingers.

Will we ever learn?

-- Rob Michaels (sonofdust@home.now), December 31, 1999.


Top.

-- (upto@recent.answers), January 01, 2000.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ