Happy New Year! (Or at least try to hang in there.)

The other day, my friend Jim from Sisters (I'd use his full name, but I'm not sure he'd want me to) came into the store. He's one of those rare individuals who often has a viewpoint different from mine and is willing and able to discuss it. (Argue, without hard feelings.)

"So," I say, baiting him. "I don't think you'll need to worry about people's opinion about development in Sisters. Most of it won't happen anyway...."

"Oh, I think the hotel will go through, at least," he says.

So off I go on my view that next year is going to be horrible, that commercial real estate lending has frozen, etc. etc.

"I'm sure we're all doomed..." he says, deadpan.

This sets me off. I get a little heated. I can't stand to have people say, 'It'll get better. Don't worry. Everything is just fine.' Of course, that's not what he would say he was saying.

"I don't see the point of obsessing over it."

Which just sets me off again.

He listens to me quizzically for awhile, and then asks, "Why are you surprised? That's the way people are, the way they've always been."

"But....but...." I sputter. "They need to know! They need to be aware! They need to get educated!"

He grins, and says, "I've figured you out. You're a Calvinist. You are offended by other's weaknesses."

I raise my fist, and proclaim, "THERE WILL BE A RECKONING! WE DESERVE OUR FATE!"

I'm sort of joking, sort of not. Because I'd been thinking that way.

I'd always thought my Mom was a Calvinist, in that she had strong principles and couldn't really understand other's weaknesses. Most of my family would disagree, and she was at the same time an empathetic and understanding and liberal person. With a solid steel backbone.

"Oh, my God," I said. "I've turned into my Mom."

He laughs. "Well I'm glad we got through that."

"But of course." I said. "I really appreciate that you argue with me. It's what I like about you."

Anyway, the point of this entry is to say that I've been holding back through the holidays, but now with the New Year, I intend to kind of mix it up. I've got a whole bunch of articles I've been saving up, from mainstream periodicals like the NYT's and WSJ; and I want to comment on them.

Happy New Year, or at least a Hold Your Own New Year!