Wow!  As I write this, I can hardly believe that 2010 is almost upon us. Why, this time last year it was still June!  To quote Dr. Seuss, “My how the time has flewn!”

It’s always at this time of year that individuals and society begin to reflect. We pause and reflect on what we have experienced and remember the friends and loved ones we’ve lost.  We also gaze at the unbelievable profile of our guts and butts that reflect back at us from the mirror or the horrific shadows we cast. 

This leads to a societal ritual that takes place every New Year in America:  Sales of treadmills and health club memberships skyrocket. The former will be on sale for a song in about the May timeframe and the latter make the bulk of the ongoing profits by the overly ambitious (and hopeful) goals of their new members.  By March, the clubs will be nearly empty.  Our culture is a curious one.

Society also takes this time to look back at the major events of the year ending and the famous that have died.  It also tries to take a prophetic glance into its future to get a bead on what it looks like. 

As we wrap up 2009, our country and the rest of the world enter into 2010 with not just a little bit of anxiety.  We’re still fighting a terrible war in which the public has all but lost its interest and patriotism.  The world economy is teetering on the brink and good jobs that can sustain families and economies are woefully few. 

Yes, it’s tough. But America has been through tough times before. If allowed to, the brilliance and ingenuity of its people and its enterprises will again pull out of these messes successfully. 

Notice that I said “its people” and not “the government”. 

Regardless of the political party one subscribes to, it’s safe to say that the majority of the population believes, a) that the government (and, usually, one said defines the government as the opposing party) has got us into the royal mess and, 2) it’s doing a crappy job in getting us out of it.

Neither side of the voting populace is happy with what the government is doing with regards to the war on terrorism, the economy or the environment.  And, from the looks of it, neither side of said populace is budging on their opinion.

I’d like to offer a suggestion to this mess that is actually an old quote familiar to all of us:  If we want the job done right, we’ve got to do it ourselves.  In other words, step aside Uncle Sam and just do what you do best:  you just protect our borders while we fix what’s wrong within them.

This gets us out of our very costly wars (after we quit screwing around and just win the darned things) and focuses us on turning things around by getting back to the basics.  Isn’t this what smart businesses do when they’re in a crunch?

As Manilow sings in Another New Year’s Eve, “it’s not the worst you know, we’ve come through all the rest, we’ll get through this”.

Have a safe, prosperous, healthy and Happy New Year and let’s make it the best!

Happy New Year from your friends and Boomerocity.com