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Martha will rule in 2002

Martha Reigns in 2002 By Alison R. G. van Diggelen I love making predictions, but let me confess something; I don’t have a crystal ball. But wait a minute; I see something appearing on my Palm Pilot screen. It looks like a large M. Yes, it’s spelling out Martha. 2002 will be the year of Martha Stewart. Martha and her home improvement empire will thrive while all around, the high tech and service sector will continue their decline. 2002 will mean fewer trips to Hawaii and more trips to Home Depot. We will continue to turn inward, spending more time in the pursuit of inner happiness and interior comfort. We’ll spend more time in the home and more money on the home. As we do more entertaining at home, we’ll be casting a critical eye over our home décor. Imagine the scene: Newly weds Paige and Andrew are planning a guest list for their upcoming dinner party. Paige, “We can’t possibly entertain Tiffany and Blake in this deep caviar-gray dining room. I mean, it’s so 2001!” Before they know it they’ll be sitting online at marthastewart.com, considering the qualities of vibrant yellow as Martha gently plugs, “Take a chance with this warm tone and the rewards will be tangible.” With an unframed war raging at home and abroad, we will be looking for tangible ways to keep cheerful. We may consider a Gothic mirror from the Martha collection for a cool $225, into which we can practice our jolly Ho, Ho, Ho’s. As we spend more time at home, more followers will adopt Martha’s mantra, “Every room in a house bears a portrait of its owner in the style of the room itself.” We’ll be buying up Martha’s Decorating 101 books and fine paint swatch books for $15 a snap, and mulling with our partners over whether dusty green or mustard yellow, soft gray or cocoa most accurately reflect our personality, our inner beliefs. We’ll ask, “Does this palette really make you feel happy darling?” In 2002 we’ll be scanning the latest scientific studies of happiness. The University of Michigan has been carrying out studies for the last decade. Some examine adrenal hormones in saliva and electrical recordings from the twitches of face muscles. These clever scientists can even distinguish true smiles from fake ones. One remarkable conclusion is that for affluent societies such as ours, there is no positive correlation between greater wealth and greater happiness. Even lottery winners only experience a temporary one or two year rise in happiness levels. So it’s official: money can’t buy happiness. Just as well really, since 2002 is going to be a cold sea-gray with mountains of red for many of us. The 90’s days of instant millionaires and “in the pink” IPO’s are gone. We have a new administration, a new mindset and new challenges. So what can we do to get happy? The University of Illinois subjective well-being study conclusions were telling. Happiness can be achieved through community, a sense of belonging and self-expression. Now here’s a good jibe with what the Palm has foretold (remember the big M?). What better way of self-expression can there be than the tasteful arrangement of your home sweet home? Forget letters to the editor or angry graffiti on the walls of City Hall. No. We all know that scatter cushions, hot mango colored walls and alabaster silk lamps say more about you than any other medium. We’re all uniting behind the flag right now, but it will get jaded in 2002. Talk of jingo-ism will become deafening. What healthier, safer object to gather round than the mother figure herself: Martha here’s one I prepared earlier Stewart? Hate her style and deprecating manner? In 2002 you’ll learn to love her, as much as her ideas to bring light and color into your kitchen. She’s the queen of style, the mother of all Marthas. In 2002 your home will become a soothing refuge. Your future shows no riches this year, but don’t worry, be happy. About the author: Alison R.G. van Diggelen is the Editor of www.siliconmom.com. A native of Scotland, she now lives in San Jose with her husband and two children. Alison writes a regular column for the San Jose Mercury News and Silicon Valley Business Ink, but can’t decide whether mango works in her living room. © Alison R.G. van Diggelen 2001, 2002

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