| Emerging from a Rough Winter |
| Monday, 15 March 2010 20:18 | |||
 March 15, 2010 – (As I acknowledged the date of this writing, I realized this is Julius Caesar’s least favorite time of year – the Ides of March; a good way to lead off what I want to say.)
There’s no escaping the fact that this has been a rough winter for most of us, and with those in other parts of the world, like those recovering in Haiti and Chile, it’s a time they’ll never forget. Yet even from the rain and mudslides on the West Coast to the excess of snow (and now rain) that came and is still coming to those folks living in the eastern part of the country, there’s still reason to think positively – for when March arrives with its usual bluster, it brings with it the message that spring and its message of re-birth isn’t too far behind. But for some this anticipation of something nice may not be enough. That’s because there’s been a lot of bad news out there mixed in with what Mother Nature has pitched our way, and for many, it’s difficult to smile in the midst of what they perceive to be primarily bad news. Or is it? Are we really in tailspin, or is it in part just hype, exacerbated in turn by making issues and events reported to be worse than they really are? And when I say this, I’m not blowing smoke by sending a pick-me-up message I really don’t believe in, in an effort to convince you (and me) to feel better about things. No, I’m really a believer. While it’s difficult for me to feel the pain of those in the earthquake-devastated countries, of those suffering from lack of food and water in Africa, or those facing death daily in places like Iraq and Afghanistan – because I’ve not had to face such problems – I can still take what I read and hear and based on experience and education, sort it out so that I can determine to what degree the information before me is valid. With that in mind, I suggest that everyone reading this column take the time to find and read the cover article in the latest issue (March 22) of TIME magazine, entitled “10 Ideas for the Next 10 Years.” It’s well-written, interesting, straightforward, and if you will buy into it, will have you thinking more positively than ever, if you weren’t already. But as we all know, we’re still in the woods, so this is not yet the time to let down. Be cautious, think things through, but be open to new ideas. There have been times in the past that were much darker than those we’ve just been through, and we recovered from them. We will again. Tomorrow will be the 16th of March, and the Ides will have passed.
|