"Trending"

How are you trending? Yet another new reference phrase in the (modern) 21st century but an idea not too complicated. If you open up any internet site, off to the right hand side of the screen there usually appears a top ten list of who is trending the most right now. When she has her 25th child the Octomom will be back on the list. Another trip to jail or rehab gets Lindsay Lohan back on the list. Good behavior for her and others get you OFF the list. That may explain Charlie Sheen’s hijinks. He’s still the kid jumping in front of people mugging for the camera.

The idea is you are either going up or going down. For example, in 1939 Hitler was trending up but in March of 1945 he was definitely trending down. Almost always it’s a judgment call in the eyes of the trender and others. It can be tricky. For example: Barack Obama. Is he trending up or down? If you look at his popularity polls they have trended down for some time, but as you watch the Republican candidates devour each other, you’d have to say by default he’s trending upward.

It’s rarely unanimous on the up/down trendometer. JFK hanging out with Marilyn….trending up or down? What about Simon Cowell former judge of American Idol. His spin off show was universally criticized but he made money off of it. Trending up or down? You see my point.

Some people are hopeless and will never be on the “Trending right now” list. My 3rd cousin Claymore who fixes steel-belted radial tires for a living and spends his free time also fixing steel-belted radial tires will never be on the trend list. My ex GF “Patina” the one with the tattoos that look like a road map of Route 66, but who has a nice singing voice, well I don’t expect to ever see her on the trend list.

The ideal would to be trending upwards almost all the time. But isn’t life peculiar? Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we trend downward. Sometimes, when we hit bottom we suddenly surge upward.

For me 2008-2010 was a significant trend downward. Yes, my teaching went well, my son got off to New York and college but about everything else sucked. Medical issues (none life threatening), money issues, retirement issues, girl-friend or lack thereof issues, and well it was a long, long trend downward that was frightening. Happy to report that in 2011 I began trending upward. My son graduated college, has a great GF, I had no health scares, got out from under my doomed condo, rekindled my faith, and made a friend or two.

What made the difference between 2008-2010 and the year 2011? Was it luck or God? Was it both? I suppose it was many things but one thing I did notice was that I worked harder at trying to make my life work in 2011. I got determined and worked at it. I asked questions, sought out information made a plan and stuck with it. Faith and courage helped too. Still and all who knows for sure why we are trending up or down or if we are trending at all?

When we are trending down its scary; we don’t always know how to reverse it, and when we are trending upward we get scared something will happen to end it. All natural reactions I think. If only life would give us an insider’s tip sheet!

That gets me to the most important part of the piece, you. How have you trended in recent years?
How did you trend in 2011? How are you trending right now?
In other words, how's it going?