The title of my diary may be a cliche, but what a decade, politically and personally.
When the decade began, I was a 21 year old kid, 3 years removed from graduating in the bottom half of my high school class. I worked hard because I had dreams of becoming a lawyer and making the world more fair. My girlfriend was a freshman at NYU with dreams of becoming an actress. Here we were:
(I miss all that hair)
Spoiler alert, but 10 years later, we are married and doing our best to make our way and make a difference in these troubled times.
The history of this decade have been surreal. We began the decade prosperous and at peace, but still with many Americans living in poverty and without political voice. . .
In 2000, we watched the selection of the worst president in our lifetime:
I remember talking with Karla about the absurdity of Bush, but none of us had any idea what we were in for.
Also in 2000, an obscure Governor named Howard Dean signed a bill allowing gay people to get civil unions. As a result of his courage, he had to wear a bulletproof vest. Republicans and too many Democrats lamented the collapse of the institution of marriage. No one thought the day was near when gay people would be allowed equal marriage.
In 2001, my hard work paid off and I got into a top law school; but I had to leave Karla and New York to go to California. While I was away from home, the towers fell.
I'll never forget that day as long as I live. My friends, family and loved ones were in New York. Phones weren't working, so I found out how people were doing via instant messenger. Karla was at NYU; she watched the towers fell and breathed in that air while I was half-way accross the country.
I have never felt more helpless.
I flew back from law school several weekends to help clean Ground Zero. I was so proud to stand with my fellow Americans as we tried to make this tragedy better. I remember coughing and being puzzled about the air that myself and fellow volunteers were breathing (let alone the firefighters and cops who were putting in consecutive 20 hour days at Ground Zero). Our government told us the air was fine. Turns out that they were lying.
We invaded Afghanistan. I trusted President Bush and hoped he would bring the men responsible for 9-11 to justice. Nearly a decade later, Osama is still at large.
2003 brought a war based on lies:
The media and many politicians refused to question the absurd. Thank goodness for Howard Dean, Ted Kennedy and for millions of less public voices, like an obscure state senator named Barack Obama.
On a personal level, 2003 brought Karla her first major acting job, teaching and singing to children on the children's show Hi-5. Her dreams were coming true. I graduated from law school and moved home to Queens to work at a law firm and live near Karla.
2004 brought marriage equality in Massachussetts. Karl Rove and George W. Bush declared that marriage was under attack.
The 2004 election was surreal. Howard Dean was right about the Iraq war, but the media savaged him and he ultimately lost the Democratic primary because he wasn't "electable." Democrats chose a more "electable" candidate, a good man who voted wrong on the war, and who proved not to be electable. I was in Ohio volunteering for Kerry-Edwards on election day 2004. Fear, lies and incompetence triumphed.
2005 was marked by Hurricane Katrina, a national tragedy that illustrated the growing gap between rich and poor:
In 2006, the country stood up and elected Democrats who promised to end the Iraq war. I'm glad we took our country back from the Bushies, but still waiting for the war to end and for Democrats to consistently stand up for our nation's best values.
2006 was a year of transition: Karla left Hi-5. I left the law firm to become a civil rights lawyer and fight for foster children. I'm much happier with this career. I don't make as much money, but every day I fight to give kids opportunity and make the world more fair.
In 2007 my grandfather passed away.
In 2008, Karla landed a role in Burn After Reading, got a recurring role on a soap opera, and filled her life-longdream of singing the national anthem for the Yankees:
I began the 2008 presidential primaries working hard for John Edwards. His demand for economic justice still resonates with me - as do my memories of all the great people (many Kossacks) that I met during that campaign. Karla showed her wisdom by supporting Barack Obama from the beginning:
We busted our butts to get Barack elected and we travelled to the Democratic convention together:
(Where did the hair go?)
Election day saw us volunteering in Philadelphia. And election eve saw us celebrating with friends and hundreds of strangers in Queens.
Also in 2008, I proposed to Karla on our ten-year anniversary, at the very same place where we had our first date.
She said yes.
2009 brought a wedding:
Nationally, it looks like it will bring us universal healthcare. It remains to be seen whether we will ultimately pass a bill that helps people or insurance companies.
Gay marriage is legal in several states. Perhaps as a result, Karl Rove divorced his second wife.
In New York, the New York state Senate ignored the will of the voters and voted against marriage equality. A groundswell of grassroots supporters have asked me to run for State Senate, and I am seriously considering it.
Here's hoping the next decade brings our country more triumph and less tragedy.