What a difference a decade makes...

Written by Anika Henrikson

I can't believe it's 2012. The year 2012 always seemed so far away when I was a kid. Like, really far away. Maybe it's because I had so many expectations for my life when I was younger. Maybe it's because the last 10 years have gone by so quickly that it's hard to imagine so much time has passed since I yearned to marry Elijah Wood (like I did in 1992) and drive around in a pink car while listening to Ace of Base (actual fantasy, ladies and gentlemen).

Even three years ago, 2012 seemed like a long ways away. And, yet, here it is. It's a year that will mark changes in our government, personal growth for many of us, and, for a select few of us, the fulfillment of some grandiose prophecies.

Amidst all that, Bakersfield Magazine marches on. We're excitedly working on our February 2012 issue, which marks the last issue in our 28th cycle. Come February, we'll be working on volume 29, issue 1. Scary to think that this magazine has been around even longer than I have. What's amazing, though, is the magazine's ability to evolve. A lot has changed over the nearly 30 years the magazine has been in production. People have changed, this town has changed, and, therefore, the stories and photos packed inside each issue have changed. For the better, most of us would say.

Something else that has changed for the better: healthcare in Bakersfield. Obviously, it's a changing field. That's why we dedicate two issues a year to medical stories. It's interesting to us and it's interesting to you.

The issue on stands now, our 14th annual KernHealth edition, is “injected” with fascinating features on all things health. It's one of my favorite issues, mainly because there was a time when I was seriously considering going into a medical profession. I had taken specialized courses while in high school, completed an internship at a Eugene, Oregon, hospital, and was raring to jump into the world of medicine, when I realized two things. One, while blood, guts, and disease excite me, I don't have the emotional capacity to deal with sick children on a daily basis. In short, I was too sensitive. Two, I absolutely hate math. Not because I'm a girl and I'm “supposed” to hate math. No, there were other, more frustrating, reasons for my attitude toward all things mathematical. Math was required for nearly every occupation I was interested in, yet I discovered that my brain had a harder time digesting math than any other topic I studied. So, while I wanted to become a virologist or an epidemiologist and study viruses and diseases, I would be required to take courses in math...upper division math. Becoming a pediatrician would require taking math. We're not talking addition, subtraction, fractions, and percentages—-it's parabolas, three-lined equations, and problems involving cosines.

Becoming a writer/editor? Well, that required no math whatsoever. It was also a field I found myself drawn to simply because I loved reading, loved writing, and I loved talking about words and stories. I lucked into my current field because I didn't have the heart or the mental capabilities for my first choice.

Thankfully, I'm in a profession that allows me to write and edit, while also learning more about medicine by writing stories, interviewing physicians, and doing research. Win-win!

So, all in all, I'm really happy with where my life has taken me. I've changed a lot from the person I was back in 1992. I've changed a lot from the person I was in 2002. Even though I'm not married to Elijah Wood and I don't drive a pink car, I'm looking 2012 square in the eyes and hoping for an exciting new year.

I still love Ace of Base, though.