What's Going On Here?

I've been doing a lot of reading lately. Much of what I've been reading is pretty depressing- Collapse, The Nice and Accurate Phrophecies of Agnes Nutter Witch, Jefferson Project, Atlas Shrugged, Fountainhead. All of these books talk about human and societal frailty. When the earthquake shook our building yesterday and with a hurricane heading our way, I thought again about what is beyond our control and what we can do with the things we can control. History has shown, that when man acts or, for that matter fails to act, in his own self interest that society will suffer. I believe we are at a tipping point now- that unless we begin to take responsibility and do the right thing- promoting learning and innovation, rewarding achievement and work ethic, disincenting unproductivity and incompetence and showing fiscal prudence, our society as we know it will continue to decline.

A Great Bonding Experience

As I age, I still learn more about myself and others everyday. Last weekend I was blessed to join my son, his 10 good friends and 2 brothers (my other 2 sons) at his bachelor party weekend. I felt lucky to be invited but a little uneasy about fitting in. In summary, the weekend was great fun, the guys were terrific and I think I fit in just fine- both as a parent and friend. The weekend will be a positive memory that all of us will hold for a lifetime. My son and his friends and brothers are lucky to have such a strong bond so early in their lives. They have already shared so much together and, I believe, observing them, that they will continue to share a bond as they move forward in their careers, marriages and parenthood. Their disparate paths may lessen the time they spend with each other, but their obvious love for each other (although they have a strange way of showing it some times) will provide them with an authentic and meaningful base of support for the rest of their lives.

It's a New Year

While I don't believe in New Year resolutions per se, I am a goal setter and the New Year does mark a time of the year to plan for what I want to accomplish over the next year personally and professionally. While I always get excited by the year ahead, I'm always humbled by the fact that another year of my life has passed. Our lives are so short with so much to accomplish in such a short time span. So I better get started on 2011- Have a Happy, Healthy and Successful New Year.