Thoughts for the new year.

摘要

As I think back over the past year, it is unfortunate that the negative aspects of the year are what first come to mind. I think of the financial crisis of the past year, the wars that continue to press and lives that are impacted by those wars, greed and avarice of some in the financial world, a celebrity fall from grace, and more attempted terrorism. Even with the positive strides we have made, such as progress toward health care reform, I think about voices raised in anger with shouting, rage, and no real conversation. But then I consider the positive aspects of the year: human ingenuity that can move us past financial woes, thoughtful discussions about the numbers of service men and women involved in Iraq and other countries, the new face of the presidency, an airplane landing intact and safe in a river, and the movement toward some type of health care reform even amid the angry mobs.