Study break ...

A thought before I return to the books.

Time's cover article this week is titled "The Decade From Hell."

America was attacked. Hurricane Katrina. Two stock market crashes. Tsunami wipes out part of Asia. China is hit by an earthquake. The Middle East, well ... you know what's going on there. It's a good read, slightly depressing, but actually rather invigorating. (Click HERE if you missed the previous link. If you pick up a hard copy, be sure to check out the article "ABC's" which highlights some pretty amazing advances in health care and technology from recent times, too.)

Meanwhile, in my decade: My family moved. I got a driver's license. I danced on pointe, learned to play the cello, and pursued a love for singing. The Olympics came. I graduated. I went to college. I switched majors. I had my first kiss. I voted for the first time. I worked at a newspaper. I graduated again. I worked for another newspaper. I went on a mission. I came back to a newspaper and got my first full-time paycheck. I sang a solo in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. I had my last first kiss. I got married. I went back to school.

All the while the towers were falling, storms were brewing, and there were several moments of poltical upheaval. I was lucky enough to watch most of it on TV monitors standing with co-workers in a newsroom and the buzz of the scanner in the background. Decade from hell? Hard to say. But it has been one hell of a ride.

What are your decade highlights?