 On The Line -- Issue 669 -- January 11, 2008  Online News and Views of Life in San Benito County with Herman Wrede Published by HollisterOnline.com -- Copyright 1995-2008 HollisterOnline.com
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On The Line -- Issue 669 -- January 11, 2008 Online News and Views of Life in San Benito County with Herman Wrede Published by HollisterOnline.com -- Copyright 1995-2008 HollisterOnline.com
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The new year arrived in San Benito County and the world to cheering, blowing of horns and whistles and a surge of hope for many celebrants, whether in bars, restaurants or private homes.
Jan. 1 is traditionally a time of looking back over the preceding 12 months and to try to determine what the next 12 will bring. It will be a year as all years have been with gains and losses for each of us, for joy and sorrow, for fulfillment and disappointments. It is also a time for resolutions because Man is a creature who depends upon hope. Some of our resolutions may fall short of our hopes but it is necessary to keep hoping for a better life, to improve ourselves. Resolutions are personal to the person making them. Perhaps this is the year that we finally will lose weight, quit smoking or read a few more good books. Others may be to become a better person, to improve our relations with family and friends. The best resolutions are to help others with no thought of being rewarded or even recognized. Think upon your own situation; no matter how much it may seem to lack, you will not have to look far to find others worse off then yourself. Consider how something as easy to give as a smile or a bit of cheer to a neighbor who is depressed or even to those you do not know who feel isolated or disenfranchised. The stint of community service you may give will help close the gap between you, or even a few dollars to help feed the hungry. We are all on this planet together, and share many of its woes -- the loss of a friend or family member, the experience of a severe injury or illness, the sharp loneliness of being separated from family. It is appropriate, then, that we celebrate the goodness of life together. Include your elderly neighbor in a party you are planning. It is a sharpness in the heart to feel the loss of love your children once freely gave now that you are old and alone because your grown children live far away. Make an effort to mend a rift between yourself and a friend once dear to you whom you do not see anymore because of a misunderstanding that may have been trivial but that has festered over the years. Ministers who have listened to their parishioners on their deathbeds say that one of the most common regrets they hear is the failure to make amends with people they valued because of false pride. A particularly poignant story told to one minister was from a dying man who lived within blocks of his brother's home but had not spoken to him for more than 50 years because of an argument when they were in their 20s. The minister notified the brother and urged him to hurry to his brother's side before it was too late. He came and for the last two hours of the dying man's life, they embraced each other, cried, embraced again and again and clutched each other's hands, trying to find some way back across all the irretrievable years. The man died but his face was transformed because in his final minutes he had made peace with his brother and himself. The surviving brother acknowledged that it was the greatest moment of his life. He could not even remember the matter that led to their long separation but was glad they had come to know each other again before it was forever too late. What does it matter, really, that we sometimes fall short of our good intentions? We can try again and it need not require a wait until the next time January rolls around. There is no season on hoping. For San Benito County the year was less than a week old before we received the benison of rain. For several days it rained intermittently, then came down hard for hours with the usual fallen tree limbs and several power outages. Those old enough to remember the seven-year drought that began in the mid-1980s as well as earlier dry spells truly appreciate rainfall, especially in this county where agriculture and cattle-raising plays a vital role in the local economy. For the past several years we have not reached the amount of precipitation for normal years, so the open clouds signal the chance for a good year and the resultant prosperity it may bring. There is a general feeling of hope that spreads far beyond our county's boundaries and encompasses the rest of the nation. Despite the continuing war in Iraq and threat of war with other countries, the apprehension of terrorism, the rising cost of gasoline with the price of oil hovering around $100 a barrel, the terrible housing market and cynicism of many of our highest elected officials, a breath of hope is coming to the United States. The feeling of having been in an inescapable rut for years, of the disdain of the Constitution by those sworn to protect it and the many false promises made to us, the sense of change in the air can be swept away by change in our nation's attitude, leaders and direction. We all must be part of it and contribute to it. Many of those who hope to lead us will not be successful in their bids for office; indeed, some who have the qualities needed for their campaigns, in either party, will fall by the wayside for lack of support of one kind or another. But little more than a year from now, a new president will be sworn in and, it is hoped, will lead us back to our old role in world government, where we were at least respected, if not admired; and will lead us forward to a better life for the majority of Americans, rather than for just a few. A very happy and rewarding new year to you and to those you love. May you be far better off by Dec. 31 than you are now, and may 2009 and all the succeeding years grow better by the day. |
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