I Demand A Recount

As much as I would like to let my most work intensive blog of the year dwell at the top of the Speckled Mind, I couldn't go another minute without blogging about this.

Time Magazine has been naming a 'Person of the Year' for decades now. (Disclaimer: I realize that it used to be 'Man' of the year) Figures as different as Adolf Hitler, Bono and George W. Bush have graced the front page under that prestigious heading. Not because we necessarily like them or respect them, but simply because the planet was formed in a profound way by them in a given calendar year.

The winner this year?

You. And me. And everyone we know. Now, I should give the writers of Time their fair due. The article is pretty well written and reasoned. But do we really deserve this? So we make the most of Facebook, MySpace and Blogger. Does that really qualify any of us for 'person of the year' status? Time magazine thinks so, and many have called it a clever move on their part.

But something strikes me as terribly wrong about all of this. Admittedly, I could be worrying over nothing. But isn't this award just an illustration of how self-focused and "I'm Ok, You're Ok" our culture has gotten? The cover of that magazine brings up thoughts of those children's soccer tournaments in which every kid gets a trophy regardless of his/her place in the competition. Is this kind of pandering really helping the kids? Or could it be that Dash (from The Incredibles) was right: "Saying that everyone is special is just another way of saying that no one is."

So...I've decided not to accept this award. And I hope you won't either.

Let's face it, as proud as I am of this little corner of cyberspace, it's just a blog. I'm just a guy with a couple of ideas in my head, a decent English writing class under my belt, a bit too much free time on my hands, and an unscratchable itch for an audience. In my opinion that doesn't make me remarkable, though I fear it is starting to define what makes an American.

Time Magazine is attempting to enchant us with its Siren call of middle class American narcissism. Cover your ears, friends, and let your voice be heard. If not me, if not you--then who? Who do you nominate for person of the year in 2006?