We have ten digits and thus our early arithmetic relies on incrementing the next digit when we count past 9. Sure mathematicians and computer scientist regularly deal with different based number systems. A computer has two states, on and off, and thus it is simpler to represent 9 as 1001, which when incremented becomes 1010. Not terribly impressive. In fact let's take a look at 2009, in binary: 11111011001 or in hex 0x7d9. 2010 is 11111011010, or 0x7da. Personally I'm somewhat excited about 2047 transitioning to 2048 (11111111111 + 1 = 100000000000 or 0x7FF + 1 = 0x800)

However, society and culture continues to put a certain emphasis on the significance of crossing a mod 10 barrier, the DJI crossing 10,000, the end of a decade, football fields are broken into 10 yd increments, and the year 2000. While not much significance should be ascribed to the "end" of a ten year period, this ten year period has been significant in my life.

It is within this ten year period that I completed my undergrad degree at Appalachian State University in Boone NC. I moved out of my parents home and got my own apartment. I met my wife during those years in Boone, and our marriage has been a significant portion of this decade.

While married, we moved to Indiana, and I supported my wife as she completed her master's degree at Purdue University. Somewhat serendipitously, I met Mike Mehlberg through Elaine Mehlberg who Kristen met in her program, and I landed a dream job at Arxan Technologies. I have learned more technical details in the past 6 years at Arxan than in the sum of public school and undergraduate.

I have become a father of four amazing children. Each one brings something special and something challenging to the table. It has been an incredible blessing to share my life and experience with this next generation. I only hope that they may learn from me.

If my experience is any sort of predictor of the experience my children will have, I must accept the fact that much of my teaching will be rejected by the arrogance of youth. It is a necessary form of learning, in that the wisdom of the previous generation is rejected on the basis of a lack of understanding. The irony of course is that the youth lack the perspective that the previous generation has gained. But from the youth's perspective there is no more frame of reference required to make decisions. Whether the wrong or right decision, I remember making decisions on the pure basis that it was my decision. However time and time again, in my life, this wisdom of the previous generation holds where the wisdom of the teenage youth falls away. To that I owe apologies and gratitude to my previous generation. Mom and Dad, you sacrificed so much to give me the best and taught me lessons that continue to guide me.

All along the way, I am blessed by the presence of so many people. In undergrad there are Daniel Babel and Adam Yarborough; the professors; Scott Dula, Aaron Dimmette, and Christopher Coffey; and of course Kristen Abbey. In married life, Mike Mehlberg, Jim Vaught, Aaron Lint, Dan Noland, Brad Woodfin, Fr. Patrick Baikauskaus and many others. From each of these individuals I have learned lessons that cannot be taught, but lessons that have to be experienced. From debugging the code with Daniel to debugging the soul with Fr. Patrick, the stuff I've taken away isn't the stuff of books but rather of the human condition that each one shares.

In the next decade, I'm not sure what to expect other than it will be a decade of parenting. At the end of the next ten years, I will be the proud father of a driving 15 year old, a sporting 13 year old, a caring 12 year old, and an adorable 10 year old. My parental duties won't be considered "complete" until the end of next decade! Of course, I'm reminded that my wife's grandmother continues to take an active role in the development of her great-grandchildren, and as I've come to understand parental duties are never complete.

In summary, I suggest we do not look back at the decade and define it in terms of the creation of the TSA, the creation of the DHS, the attacks on NYC, the war in Iraq, the war in Afghanistan, the dot-com bubble, the housing market bubble, the devastation of New Orleans, and so many more historical events. While they should not be forgot, they should also not define who we are. We're a people of independence, freedom, liberty, and justice for all.

This decade is so much more for me. I started 2000 at the age 17 and will start 2010 at the age of 27. If you're around my age, then you also had a similar transition from teenager to young adult. And truly I feel that this is the decade of my independence, my freedom, and my liberty.

What defines who I am is that in the past ten years I left my father and my mother and clung to my wife, and my wife and I became one flesh. I have come into my own spiritual understanding and discovery, embarking on a lifelong pursuit of knowledge of God. If I were to talk to 1999 me, it would be a long conversation. A young student with so many questions and yet no clear direction. I would be able to share some answers that satisfy and some answers that demand more rigorous study. As for clear direction, after ten years it is still as clouded as ever.

Remember what you've accomplished, live long, and prosper.

Happy 2010!