A Reality Check As We Approach the End of 2009 – Wilmington’s Struggle
60 Minutes Brings Some Sobriety to the Holidays
Click on this picture to watch the 60-Minute Story
Truly, 2009 has turned out to be one of the most frustrating and intense years I can remember. There isn’t a day that goes by when I don’t reflect on the old (Chinese) saying/curse: “May you live in interesting times!” The truth is, 2009 should be called “The Year of the Big American Reality Check!” I don’t know about you, but the most difficult conversations I’m having with my friends and family (especially now during the holiday season) have to do with the HUGE systemic changes that have occurred in the U.S. over the past several years. I’m frustrated because a lot of the people I know simply cannot accept the fact that times are tough and that a lot of the institutions and premises around which we’ve built our lives have been swept away….and they aren’t coming back. My alter-ego Mr. Freeze, the Finanical Curmudgeon, wanted to comment for this post, but I was afraid he would be…..let’s just say, a bummer.
The reality of 2009 really hit home with me tonight as I watched the 60 Minutes program (see above) about the crushing economic and social problems of Wilmington, OH, a city which lost its main employer (DHL) and has been in downward spiral for the last several years. Think about this for a moment: When DHL closed its operations in Wilmington, 10,000 jobs were lost. We’re not talking about a few people, we’re talking huge numbers.
There is a lot to learn by watching this story (I apologize that you must endure a Viagra add between the introduction and the actual story……..another sign of the times I suppose). It should be a wake-up call to anyone here in the Seattle area who believes that Boeing or Microsoft or other large corproations will be here forever. It’s a tough reminder that being “too locked-in” as one of my Anthropology professors used to warn, is the beginning of the end for most civilizations. AND, it’s also a story about people who are trying to endure through some very difficult times. The sad fact is, there have been a lot of casualties in Wilmington and it’s going to take more than “hope” to change things.
Let’s not forget that Christmas is a time when all of our expectations are blown out of proportion and the pressure to “give” often blinds us to the reality that people suffer all year round. What we truly need in 2010 and beyond is a national wake-up call to remind us that the U.S. is not immortal. In order for our way of life to survive, we need to reinvent our thinking, use some imagination and, perhaps, start treating each other a little better.
