31 December 2010 The Dude Abides

Jan 1, 2011
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Baker Street Tattoo Parlour

New Year’s Eve is a handy “this time last year” day.

This time last year we had recently left California and we were getting ready to move to the UK. We thought we would be going in January but it took us much longer than expected to get the visas.

This year we have recently left the UK and are getting ready to move to Virginia. Thankfully visas are not required.

This time last year AC was employed by Linden Lab and things were looking good.

This year he is no longer employed by Linden Lab and is forging ahead with a transatlantic start-up, Singing Horse Studio.

This time last year we felt like we were embarking on an adventure.

This year… we feel like we are embarking on an adventure.

This time last year AC and I read an article in the paper about the Coen Brother’s 1998 film “The Big Lebowski.” Even though we enjoy the Coen Brothers’ work we had somehow missed that film. According to the article, “The Big Lebowski” has become something of a cult classic. We decided to watch it on New Year’s Eve.

This time last year we were laughing ourselves silly over that movie. And I became enamored of one of the main character’s catch phrases: “The Dude abides.”

The Dude, played by Jeff Bridges, is a laid-back Californian whose laid-back life is disrupted for a few days when he is mistaken for someone else. Shit happens. A lot of it. But he gets through it. And what I love about the character is that in the midst of all the insanity he maintains a core belief that he will be okay, and that is IS okay. That’s the meaning of his credo, “the dude abides.” It’s very zen. Absurd, California zen.

And so, on the last day of 2010, the last photo of my project 365 is of AC just before he walked into a tattoo parlour on Baker Street in Media, PA. He did not get a tattoo. He’s just doing some research for a business idea. But it struck me as a very Lebowski moment, and a fitting, absurd end to a absurd, surprising, wonderful and difficult year.

But the Dude abides. And we do too. May you, as well.

Happy New Year!