There is something special about Fridays.
No matter how heavy the eyelids, how muddled the mind... there's always a
feeling of anticipation that the week is coming to and end... and two glorious
days off await.
That's how it feels around the newsroom here on
Fridays.
As I'm sitting typing this blog at my desk (it's 8:16am), the dayside employees are
arriving.
People are joking with each other a little
more, there's an air of professional fun.
(I say "professional" because it's not like everyone's wearing
Hawaiian shirts and throwing responsibility to the wind).
We all know there is work to be done... it just feels -- lighter -- for lack of
a better description.
Speaking of lighter, it was great to hear about the economy
this morning. (How's that for a segue?)
I'm going to be true to my optimistic roots right now... and say that although
I know it's tough-going for folks across our country... the numbers released
this morning are actually good -- 20,000 jobs lost.
Don't get
me wrong -- it is sad for those 20,000 individuals - moms, dads, people
just like you and me who are reconfiguring their budgets daily trying to
stretch a dollar.
Having lost a job in my time, I know it's stress like nothing else... and it
has such a big snowball effect.
Still, let's concentrate on the sheer numeric value here: 20,000 jobs.
Experts were expecting job cuts around 75,000 to 100,000! Not to mention
- the unemployment rate fell!
Hey - it's ok to smile cautiously.
We may not have an economy that is as robust as it could be and has been in the
past... but that's the cycle of things. We're a tenacious bunch - we'll
hang on, right?
Anyway, I think it's high time we all learn to look at the world through more
positive lenses.
Someone once told me, "an idea held before the mind must come to
pass." What if instead of focusing on all of the bleak news out
there right now... we shed more light on the good.
Perhaps that would push us in a more positive direction - who knows!
What I know is this: we live in a great country. If you're reading this
from Arizona (we do have the occasional blog readers from
out-of-state... hi, mom!)
We live in a beautiful state... and no matter where you're reading this... if
nothing else... smile. It's Friday.
For more optimistic news (see, I'm not the only crazy one
out there) click on the links below:
http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/02/markets/thebuzz/index.htm?postversion=2008050211
http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2008/5/2/economy-refuses-to-tank-bears-weep.html
http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080502/economy.html?.v=10