Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The end of the Bush Era

Now, I know it's obvious that as progressives, we're going to treat Obama like evangelicals treat protestants. But no matter. Things are still looking up.

It's a time for reflection. The last eight years were humiliating, brutal, painful. Bush did terrible things, and our society was complicit in those things. Obama becomes president of a country at war and in the mist of an economic paradigm shift (to put it diplomatically).

But you know what? From 2000 - 2008, I cannot tell you nothing good happened to me personally. In fact, quite the opposite. My entire writing career to date spans the Bush years. I met my girlfriend over the Kerry-Bush debates.

Today, I feel like hearing about good things. So let me ask you this: What is one really fantastic thing that happened to you while Bush was in office? I'm just curious. Did you get married? Did you get a play published? Did you get a great review? Did you move into the world's best apartment? Did you get a new cat? Did you lose your virginity?

What happened besides the end of the world, in your world?

6 comments:

  1. I got the hell away from the West Coast.

    I owned a couple businesses, a wonderful learning experience.

    I found an artistic venue combining most of my interests and abilities.

    I drove cross country with a good friend. I drove back alone in a snowstorm.

    I played some pretty good video games. Didn't really start buying consoles until the Bush era.

    Met some amazing women. Still talk to most of them. Another first.

    Overall, I'm a much better person than I was nine years ago. I'd like to think I would have grown and improved with any administration, but then again, ideological frustration can certainly be a motivational factor. Selah.

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  2. Did you get married? Got engaged...though we met during the Clinton admin and will get married under Obama!

    Did you get a play published? Yes.

    Did you get a great review? Yes.

    Did you move into the world's best apartment? Yes.

    Did you get a new cat? Yes.

    Did you lose your virginity? Yes.

    It's like you wrote the list with me in mind! =)

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  3. I got engaged.

    I started writing plays (Three were produced and a fourth was shot as a short film).

    I got my SAG, AEA, AFTRA cards and joined the Dramatist Guild.

    I was the General Manager of a theatre company for three years.

    I got to play a lot great roles in some really wonderful plays.

    Thanks, Freeman. This makes me feel a lot better.

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  4. Yeah, some pretty good things happened in my world.

    Nosedive got started (although our preliminary meetings took place in late '99, our first play went up a few weeks after Bush was inaugurated).

    I didn't get married or engaged, but I've written and staged several shows and received some nice reviews.

    I got published a few times.

    I performed with my college sketch comedy group twice (once in Seattle, once in New York).

    There are a few other things of note that happened here and there as well.

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  5. Anonymous5:30 PM

    Matthew Freeman, I do say, you are a good man, Charlie Brown. And I got to know you during that god awful administration as well, thanks to the fact that you and my little sister could talk about the Kerry-Bush debates. So, God Bless George Bush for being so infuriating that he gave you and my sister enough to talk about to get to know each other so that I could get to know you, too.

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  6. I moved to New York and met you and some other cool people. Though I think I may have blown it from time to time. So, that's kind of a good thing, right?

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