Dec 27, 2009 By Ann Mcfeatters 4 min read

In a few short days, this terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad decade will start its countdown. Good riddance. Although this decade technically began on Jan. 1, 2001, and ends Dec. 31, 2010, for millions the imminent arrival of 2010 starts a new decade and a new era. Basically, we’re sick and tired of the Decade When Evil Things Happened.

This past decade started with 9/11 and climaxed with a financial catastrophe that still has us reeling. Hurricane Katrina struck with such ferocity the nation has not yet recovered. Many lost jobs and haven’t found new ones. Many lost their homes. Thousands lost their lives or limbs or hope in Iraq and Afghanistan. Our political leaders disappointed us and let us down. Enough already.

This is the season for peace and good will and for finding contentment in friends and family and the everyday things of life. So let’s look on the bright side for a few moments.

There has been a rebirth of volunteerism in America, of neighbors helping neighbors.

Stung by recession and lost paychecks, Americans are finding new satisfaction in doing without, making do, recycling, and re-evaluating what is important to us.

Despite unemployment and fear about the economy, there is a new appreciation for the environment and zeal for saving it.

Old prejudices are disappearing although they are not yet gone. We have an African American president, and a woman fought a credible battle for the presidency.

The greed that has been the hallmark of Wall Street has not gone away but some of its worst practitioners, such as Bernie Madoff, have been brought to their knees. We haven’t achieved good financial regulatory reform yet, but at least we’re working on it.

Technological breakthroughs continue to astound us, particularly in the medical and digital and robotics fields. To scientists, this was the decade of the human genome, just the beginning of huge breakthroughs in biology.

Yes, our beloved newspapers are struggling and dying, but new ways of spreading information are evolving. Look at our grandparents’ astonishment at the iPod and the Internet!

Despite setbacks, with evidence this was the hottest decade on record, there is an even chance the world may figure out how to curtail carbon dioxide emissions before the catastrophic effects of global warming occur.

The myth that Americans don’t like work has been exploded. Americans love to work and, for the most part, like their jobs, especially the camaraderie.

The divorce rate in the United Stats has fallen to its lowest level since 1970. This may be a result of people living together and not marrying or staying together because of the economy, but a lower divorce rate is good news for children.

At the beginning of the decade, we waited with great apprehension for the computer world to crash as clocks rolled over, but the long-feared Y2K meltdown never happened. And therein lies a good lesson. Much of what we most fear never comes to pass, often because we can take steps to prevent it.

And perhaps that is the most important lesson of this past decade. We humans are awesome creatures, with the power to do great good and great evil. We got ourselves into a lot of bad stuff in recent years, but we also started figuring out solutions to some of our most vexing problems.

Many think that Americans lost their sense of can-do optimism in this “Decade from Hell,” as Time magazine dubbed it. Right now, it’s hard to find much good news in Washington, whether it’s the moribund agencies, the demoralized, angry halls of Congress or the desperate floundering in the White House.

But I am convinced that better days are coming. Christmas tree sales are up, reports The Wall Street Journal! Holiday light sales are booming! Despite all the grim news, Americans know that while we must be realistic, there is no point in dwelling on all the bad news all the time.

Those who can find joy in small things every day are the lucky ones.

Scripps Howard columnist Ann McFeatters has covered the White House and national politics since 1986. E-mail amcfeatters@nationalpress.com.