Much To Be Thankful For

At a time of such economic upheaval, especially in Michigan, it is easy to get embroiled in negative conversations. It disturbed me to watch how representatives of the "Big Three" were treated by members of Congress, especially when the legislators may secretly believe they have more to gain from a collapse of the Big Three than if they were to remain solid.

I have a vested interest in this discussion. Many members of my family were employees of the auto industry and my youngest daughter and son-in-law are new engineers with GM. There isn't a day goes by that I don't worry about their economic future with the company. It even goes so far that I worry about my oldest brother's GM pension and health care. It appears that no one is really protected financially anymore.

However, there are times I am extremely grateful. I am hopeful that the new leadership in Washington will lead us to better times. Time will tell if serious changes are possible, but the optimism and positive messages that I have observed so far can only help a cautious public. It has been my experience that confidence is the best predictor of success. Until we are confident, we have little chance of moving forward with the bold steps that are likely necessary to climb out of this hole.

I am also thankful I work in a community that is so supportive of education. I'm not exaggerating when I say that we have "great" kids. They are bright, respectful, and committed to doing well. They have educational aspirations far beyond high school, making our jobs much easier.

As we enter the Holiday season, I wish all of you the very best of the New Year. We must be confident that '09 will be an improvement over the challenges of '08. And for that, we will be thankful.

Happy Holidays!