2009 promises to be memorable in many ways with all Australians still coming to grips with the new ALP government in Canberra, and in NSW another Premier who has yet to make his mark on a state facing major crises in transport infrastructure and health, a burgeoning budget deficit and on-going dissent in party ranks.
On the world stage, the first ever African American US president has raised hopes around the world for new ideas and initiatives to overcome seemingly intractable problems that have dogged the globe for decades and cried out for real leadership from the world’s self appointed policeman.
Barack Obama is sworn in today and comes into office with his country facing the worst financial downturn in living memory, costly wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a nasty flare up in Palestine, numerous on-going skirmishes elsewhere, not to mention global warming and the list goes on.
In fact the size of the challenge is immense, but one can’t help thinking if anyone can do it, he can; what’s more I’m sure most people here, as in America, hope he can!
On the local scene I can’t remember a year starting off with so much uncertainty surrounding it … and I do have a long memory.
Certainly I was not born till after WWII but my father lived in Sydney through the Great Depression and like many of his peers the experience was traumatic and undoubtedly affected his outlook on the world for the rest of his life.
If there is anything we can learn from history and from those who actually experienced 1929 that is: ‘life does go on’ and people do survive, and even prosper, although change is often imposed upon them.
As we grow older embracing change usually becomes harder because we have so much invested in the status quo, so any concerns I have are not so much about the younger generations … they will do what’s necessary and not dwell on what ‘used to be’ or ‘could be’.
I believe the challenge for people of my own age will be not to resist, but to rise to the occasion.
I am comforted by the knowledge that ‘baby boomers’ have shaped culture and society in every decade they have lived in so far, and the fact we have rock‘n’roll singers approaching seventy, like Tina Turner and Neil Diamond, still performing well on stage and TV shows that maturity has finally become a stage of life to enjoy, not just endure.
When I first entered the workforce, many many moons ago, I worked for a very successful New Zealand based, Irish contractor and, as we all know, the paddies have developed their own unique way of looking at things shaped no doubt by many decades of struggle and difficulty; so I will end with a popular, and I think insightful, quote based on my old workmate’s view of the world :
“2009 should be a great year …if you don’t weaken!” | 
