Over The Shoulder

Someone pointed out that we are scant days away from the end of a decade. In just a little over a month, we will leave the TweenTeens and enter the Roaring Twenties. As for the naming of the decades, I assume we will have a few years to work that out. Wouldn't it be nice to have the Boring Twenties, spending ten years catching up on our non-news reading and enjoying conversations that didn't feel so weighted down by worry? And will we look back at the past ten years with longing, wondering where our Hope went?
Six out of ten of those years, it felt like there was hope and change available. Coming out of the Naughts, it was nice to think that we were on the cusp of something larger. On our way to where the air is sweet. 
How quickly things change. Ten years ago, I noted that "the decade comes to a close much in the same way that it began: Terrorists win." I was bemoaning the fact that I was still being asked to take my shoes off before boarding a commercial airliner. Only ticketed passengers were allowed on the concourse. Which is pretty much how things are pretty much the same, but for the low, low price of just eighty-five dollars for a five year membership the TSA will let you go through screening without opening your laptop or taking off your shoes. 
What a difference a decade makes. Unless you're fighting a war in the Middle East, in which case it's business as usual. There have been approximately seven new iterations of the iPhone, and each one has been more exciting than the last. And more expensive. Buying pot got easier, but not necessarily less expensive. You can order food with your phone. Wait. That's not new. You can call for a ride with your phone. Wait. That's not new. The phones are "smart" now. Smarter? Or maybe we're just not as smart as our phones. 
A new decade gives us a chance to start yammering about the good old days like these were the good old days. Let's hope that's where we're headed.