The Meaning of the Holidays in A Liquid Amber Gaze

As 2007 draws to a close, I find myself almost weirdly optimistic about the coming year.

Sure, the past 12 months brought some bad news (including the current administration’s decision to deny California the right to regulate greenhouse gases from vehicles). But, for what seemed to me like the first time ever, for every hit the environment took, there were a dozen strong voices poised for action. And so everywhere you turned, there were stories about companies going green and the 100 Mile Diet and even the very mainstream Time asked this week: “How Green is Your Neighborhood?” While the article doesn’t necessarily offer up viable answers, it’s really asking a lot of the right questions. That isn’t enough, but it feels like a real start.

So I’m optimistic. And -- I’ll tell the truth -- I’m happy. This morning when I got up, I saw a cluster of deer outside the house. I’m quite sure they didn’t see me, but I felt as though they did.

One doe, in particular, lifted her head while I watched. She looked towards my window with her liquid, amber gaze and it was as though she watched and weighed. In the end, she put her head back down to graze and I felt oddly proud. As though I’d been judged and found not wanting. A ridiculous feeling, I know. Not logical. And yet, there it is.

Here’s wishing you and yours a wonderful holiday season. May your experiences be rich and your footprint small and may all your dreams come true.