Season brings out the best in us

What a roller-coaster ride this year has been! Stock markets are rising and falling. Foreclosures have reached historic highs as the inflated housing market is bottoming out, providing first-time buyers opportunities for homes.

“There’s a hold up in the Bronx,
Brooklyn’s broken out in fights.”

The world’s developed economies have slid into financial crisis and are expected to slip lower in 2009. As if unnoticed this past year, a recession was officially declared last month!

Congress and the White House are legislating a bailout for The Big Three auto makers, to be administered by a Car Czar – the same Feds that sponsored Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac!

“There’s a traffic jam in Harlem
that’s backed up to Jackson Heights.”

U.S. Troops and the people of Iraq and Afghanistan achieved stable democratic government. In between national remembrances of 9/11 and Pearl Harbor, radical terrorists attacked the peaceful nation of India.

“There’s a scout troop short a child,
Kruschev’s due at Idlewild…”

As I write this, Governor Blagojevich was arrested for attempting to sell the president-elect’s vacant U.S. Senate seat to the highest bidder. (Imagine that, in Illinois of all places.) Oh, and OJ is finally behind bars!

“Car 54, Where Are You?”

Through all this tumult, including nasty elections nationally, the refrain “Car 54, Where Are You?” began echoing in my memory. (For those unfortunates born too late, google “Car 54, Where Are You?”)

Last Saturday, I recalled the entire theme song while ringing the Salvation Army bell under the clouded morning sky at the Sierra Vista Mall. I began laughing to myself, realizing how important it is to look for the lighter side for relief from the constant barrage of doom and gloom.

During these challenging days you have to search for the positive side. For this issue of the Clovis Chamber News, we received 34 pieces of good news, including the record crowds at One Enchanted Evening in Old Town.

This season brings out the best in many people. While bell ringing, I was privileged to meet some of them, from the six-year old with the toothless smile who dropped a fist full of change into the bucket to the couple who handed me pair of black knitted gloves insisting that I needed them against the chilled morning air to the sweet elderly woman who has contributed to the Salvation Army in memory of her husband for each of the 27 years since his passing. Most everyone seemed determined to make the best of this chaotic year as they rushed about.

And so, focus on what you can immediately affect…you, your family and community. Whatever you celebrate, may you find laughter and good news, and a prosperous and healthy new year!