It’s not over yet! Please, could the media hold off on the best and worst of 2012? The year isn’t over yet. There’s such a rush to be the first to critique and review anything that many don’t wait to see how things end. How many tweet from a movie before it’s over? Though of course, for some, we better talk about it now because the Mayans may have said that there will be no world left after 12/21/12. For others of a different philosophy, today is a beginning because of the auspicious date 12/12/12. A friend and I compared her medical condition and my financial situation and agreed that beginnings and endings aren’t as important as what’s happening now.

What’s happening now is that I am sitting in a comfy chair, warm and dry with a cup of tea beside me, typing this post from the second floor of the Cash Store in Bayview because one of the businesses here, Fine Balance Imaging, is hosting a Christmas art show for some of their artist clients, like me. I get to sit here surrounded by art and decorations, and visit with folks that want to buy my photos or books. I’d do something similar even if my net worth was hundreds of thousands more than it is today. (Check my blog posts from Bailey’s Corner.) Friends work here. It’s a pleasant atmosphere. I could always ask for more, and do, but I also appreciate what I’ve got.

My friend has a worrisome condition, but she dresses in style, keeps a sense of humor, and continues on with life. Her experience also gives her an extra emphasis on empathy, because it is possible that every smiling face has some internal struggle that could use some support.

(Ah, someone paused, and then picked up, Dream. Invest. Live. I said hello. They walked away. Maybe I spooked them.)

Are the Mayans right that the world will end on 12/21/12? Pick your version of an ending and you could be right. A few years ago, another friend had a premonition that they would die within months. They were wrong and right. They lived, but an old way of life died. Their premonition was an ending and a beginning.

There are endings that are final for our physical existence: Asteroid strikes (did you read about the three-mile wide asteroid that passed us yesterday? Ah, but we knew about that one for years and were sure it would miss. So, how about the ~120 foot one discovered on Sunday that passed by less than 250,000 miles. Surprise!), Catastrophic solar magnetic storms that blast away the Earth’s protective magnetosphere (and doesn’t magnetosphere sound like some superhero invention?), or Universal changes in the laws of physics (some implications of quantum physics maybe, could, but probably won’t, result in atoms dissolving and – nah.).

The best evidence I have for 12/12/12 being an ending and a beginning has been personal experience. Lots of friends are sharing revelatory dreams from last night. I had a few. (I wish you could see the sailboat. I think it would require a Mega-Millions jackpot. Nice. But, what was more fascinating was where it was headed. That may be another post.) There is particular emphasis on 12:12:12 on 12/12/12, which brings to mind the notion that, with forty different time zones, there are forty moments when the ending and beginning have transpired. (There may be a caveat as some of those time zones may not use the same calendar. Hebrew 5773, Islamic 1433?, Chinese 4710. I guess we could check the historical records to see if their 12/12/12 dates were auspicious for them.)

I think it is easier to make the case that the world’s transition has been happening for a while. There probably won’t be a split-second moment that defines the turn. Many things are turning and changing. Upheavals are happening in finance, politics, culture, relationships, environment, technology, and undoubtedly in ways we won’t recognize until we can look back from far enough away. As a species, we are less than stellar at predicting the future.

As a species, we are also poor at predicting what’s good and bad. Cars are great! They mean less animal abuse and an improvement in public health because there’s no manure in the street. Computers will never be small, cheap, or useful enough for anything besides major corporations and governments. (Insert minority here) can never become part of the mainstream society because they just don’t understand how things really work.

We are, however, good at recognizing and adapting to change. Each adaptation begins with a few that see a new path. The rest may follow willingly. Many times with a struggle. Independent thought and debate is a valuable part of the process.

(Part of my process: Someone downstairs is ordering lunch over their cell phone. They had to raise their voice to order: Ranch, onion, with a little cheese on top, and with tomato bisque. But AT&T knows best about phones. They should be made from Bakelite, rented from the company, and wired to the wall. Oops. Change happened for good or whatever.)

Regular readers know that I am in the midst of an amazing change. It hasn’t been easy, and I don’t know where I’m going; but, I know that I’ve gained some precious insights along the way. Appreciate now. Be flexible. Be willing to let go to get something better back. Be aware.

A few days ago I was doing business with a local business. Off in the manager’s corner a job interview was underway. The interviewee was making an obligatory visit so he could maintain his unemployment benefits. I went back there today and introduced myself. They know me, and when the job is re-posted they’ll contact me and make sure my resume and application aren’t blocked by the resume bots. Maybe my job search could end and a new life begin.

(Stay tuned. There’s more than one champion at work, and there are probably ones I’m not aware of. )