2011: The Year of The Dictator

I’ve thought about writing a Larrie’s-year-in-review post since sometime in mid-December but nothing seemed to materialize.

Sure you could blame that on me not attempting to write it. Apparently, words don’t just appear all by themselves. Shucks.

At one point, I tried pulling out my Google Calendar to review all of the happenings in my life the last year. I mostly saw work meetings. Yawn. Turns out, I don’t necessarily update my calendar with the GOOD stuff.

But, I realized today why I haven’t really wanted to sum up my year for you: how can it compare to what happened worldwide?

• U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords survived being shot in the head
• Tunisian government dissolved
• Mubarek steps down as President of Egypt
• Serious earthquake in Christchurch, NZ
• Rebecca Black—need I say more?
• Japan’s terrible earthquake and nuclear plant disaster
• All-night TV broadcasts of the Royal Wedding
• Twitter breaks the news about Osama bin Laden’s death
• Rapture: did you miss the end of the world?
• Disastrous tornado in Joplin, Missouri
• Vancouver riots over the Stanley Cup
• Final space shuttle mission for NASA
• Japan wins the Woman’s World Cup!
• Riots in UK, not over hockey, but spread through Blackberry Messenger
• Virginia earthquake even shakes up New Yorkers
• Gaddafi captured in Libya and eventually killed
• Ten years after 9/11
• Occupy Wall Street
• Iran releases US hikers imprisoned for two years
• Saudi women won the right to vote (but not drive)
• Steve Jobs died
• End of the Iraq War
• 7 billion people on this planet
• Kim Jong Il Dead

How can I compete with that? Real things are happening, like earthquakes, tornados, riots, the deaths of dictators, and the victory of the little Japanese women over the cocky American women in the World cup.

How about, instead, I simply copy the twitter hashtag: #2011in4words. In only four words, sum up the year 2011. How would you describe the last year? Here’s mine:

Time spent with Nathan.