Gordon Graham: First Look at 2009

First Look at 2009 – January 5, 2009
by Gordon Graham

The beginning of a year is always a time for reflection and for making New Year’s resolutions. 2009 looks like it holds some significant challenges, and also some great opportunities. There’s real anticipation for our new leadership to take office, and also a sense of trepidation, depending upon your point of view.

I’m blessed with friends who hold some very different perspectives from Yours Truly. The beauty of friendship is that you can agree to disagree without damaging your relationships, because the basic decency and core values of the individuals involved are generally very similar. A lot of time and energy can be wasted trying to convince people that we have a monopoly on the “real truth,” which can cause a rift in the relationship, or people start to avoid our company.

There are certain things that are best avoided when we are with new acquaintances, they would include religion, politics and government to name a few. We can explore these topics with our close friends, with the caveat that we respect the other’s right to believe as they choose. Some of my best friends hold positions differing from mine on issues that are close to my heart. However, I recognize that they are caring, loving human beings who happen to disagree with my point of view. Life would be quite boring if we only associated with people who always agree with us.

One of my New Year’s resolutions (in addition to my yearly health resolutions!) is to recognize how blessed we are to live in a society where we can express our points of view. We can agree to disagree and then sit down and break bread together, remaining close friends.

2009 should be an exciting time for new beginnings. I look forward to Obama taking office. I’ve read both of his books and admire the depth of his knowledge, and the broad range of his personal experiences. We live in an extremely diverse society and there needs to be a respect for our differences, and a willingness to build on our areas of agreement is an essential component of coming together in unity.

Obama’s understanding of the deteriorating of our inner cities, and the lack of opportunities for young men and women growing up in these environments is encouraging.
He recognizes that there is a connection between the number of young males ending up in prisons and these poor environments. This gives me hope for addressing the problem where it exists, in our inner cities. We live in a great country that has the capability of ending the cycle of poverty and prison. This year of 2009 could be the start of something new, a change that will be of value to all segments of society.


Peace,

Gordy Graham
Gordon Graham & Co.
www.ggco.com