Harris Sherline: Hopes and Wishes for the New Year

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By Harris R. Sherline

Here's to a better life, better health and, of course, world peace

New Year’s Eve celebrations never mattered to me. We stay home, watch the festivities on television as they circle the globe, and then go to bed early. Boring, I know. But, it’s safe and sane and keeps us out of trouble. We stay off the roads and don’t travel.

As each new year rolls around, I try to focus on the future, not so much in the sense of making resolutions — most, if not all, of which I never keep — but my hopes and aspirations for the new year.

First and foremost, I look forward to another year of just living, spending time with my wife, our two dogs and my friends and associates. I have been blessed with a long and fruitful life, filled with challenges and my share of hardships, I suppose.

At age 81, I am a living testimonial to the miracle of modern medicine and the talents of many fine medical professionals, who managed to get me through various health travails on numerous occasions — some of which were quite serious.

Following, in no particular order, are my hopes and wishes for 2010:

» That our political leaders will come to their senses and stop spending money we don’t have. We are rapidly spending ourselves into oblivion at every level: national, state, local and individual, and appear to be headed into the worst of all economic worlds — hyperinflation.

» That people around the world can somehow stop enslaving, torturing and killing one another, for whatever reason(s). I understand that there may be compelling reasons in some instances, such as defending oneself, but man’s inhumanity toward one another has been the hallmark of civilization throughout recorded history. Unless we find a way to control our baser instincts, we may well destroy ourselves. Some people think that might be the best outcome.

» That we will somehow manage to get through the current economic downturn largely unscathed.

» That we can manage to elect some people to public office who are principled, honest and willing to serve for the common good rather than how they can line their own pockets. That’s a tall order, I know, but I can at least hope.

» That our educators will find a way to reach a generation of indifferent young people, too many of whom are ignorant and self-centered to a fault. When a young person can’t make the simplest calculations to give change to a customer, something is seriously wrong.

» That we can somehow find a way to lift our society out of the cultural morass into which it has sunk. Through the medium of modern communication — radio, television, the Internet and print media — we have managed to reach the point where anything goes and there are no limits, debasing too many of our young people in the process.

» That we catch or kill Osama bin Laden, along with the other bad guys.

» That all of our military come home safely to their loved ones, their friends and their communities.

» That science will find cures for the worst diseases, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, AIDS and the host of other conditions that plague the human race.

» That we can somehow improve the desperate conditions in which far too many of the world’s peoples are forced to live.

» That we don’t have a severe earthquake in California.

» That the techies among us will find a way to stop spam forever and catch the people who spew endless unwanted garbage messages at us.

» That I get through another year without any serious health problems, and that my wife doesn’t break her other knee.

» That my six grandchildren will inherit a better world than we have now.

» That you will have the happiest, most successful and healthiest year you have ever had.

It may seem like I’m asking for a lot, but in the final analysis, you can probably sum up my hopes and aspirations in one wish. As beauty contestants so often say, I just want “world peace.”

— Harris R. Sherline is a retired CPA and former chairman and CEO of Santa Ynez Valley Hospital who has lived in Santa Barbara County for more than 30 years. He stays active writing opinion columns and his blog, Opinionfest.com.

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