An Inspiration for the Holiday Season

It is hard to believe that Thanksgiving is knocking on our doorstep and Christmas is not too far off.   This semester in college has absolutely flown by and now everyone is focused on finishing up with finals and heading home for the holidays.  I was absolutely stumped about a good topic for capping off for my blogs for this semester until I stumbled across a video online about a young boy named Brendan Foster.  At 11 years old, Brendan faced terminal Leukemia and only had a little over a week to live.  His message was so inspirational that I could not help but pass it along in hopes that everyone can learn a little bit more about the true importance of this holiday season.

Brendan Foster was a young boy well beyond his years.  At only 11 years old, he spoke with the profound wisdom of an elder.  His strength throughout the seriousness of his situation completely blew me away.  Without doubt, his greatest statement that everyone should hear comes within the first part of the interview.  When asked what are the best things about life, Brendan replied, “just having one.”  To a young boy who loved to play outside, one would expect to hear trivial things such as hikes, adventures, sports, video games, etc.  I am not completely sure I could have even come up with an answer so inspirational.  He completely blew me away.  The greatest thing in life is just having one.  How many times do we take that for granted?  How often do we forget that there are people less fortunate than us that do not get to take part in, what we see as some of the most normal of life experiences?  Certainly having the opportunity to be able to attend a university such as Southern Methodist University is an opportunity that we are all blessed with.

Brendan’s last wish before he died was to help the homeless.  How often do you hear about eleven-year-old boys desiring to help the homeless?  How many adults would make their last wish to help the homeless, especially if they were staring death in the face??  The society that we live in has downplayed the importance of giving around the holiday season.  With gifts, and trees, and lights, and Santa Clause, who could possibly even think about giving? Brendan Foster did.  All across the nation, people joined in Brendan’s wish.  They fed numerous homeless people around the country.  And Brendan was lucky enough to see how much his wish affected the lives of so many people around the country.  He could rest in peace knowing that he gave of himself, and became an inspiration for so many others.

Brendan Foster’s message did not stop here.  When asked about what makes him sad, tears began to run down his cheek as he replied, “When someone gives up.”  How many times throughout our daily activities do we give up because something is too hard or we are too lazy to do the work?  Think about how many people you know just in our college environment that drop classes or miss an opportunity because they were not willing to do what was required of them.  I feel guilty inside when I think about all of the times I have given up.  This eleven-year-old boy remained strong until the very end.  Even while dealing with an insurmountable challenge, Brendan focused solely on helping others.  He was able to see his wish come true.  He was a genuine giver, selfless in all aspects and a great inspiration to many.

For those of you who watch this video, I hope your eyes are opened just as much as mine have been.  Brendan defined the spirit of the holiday season.  His message to everyone is, “follow your dreams.  Don’t let anything stop you.”  So as you sit at home over this long and relaxing holiday, between opening gifts and eating big feasts, think about Brendan Foster.  Think about the true meaning of the season.  Think about how blessed you are and how much just one person can make a difference in the lives of so many.  I guarantee his message will not soon be forgotten.          

 

 

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2008/11/22/jaffe.wa.boy.dying.wish.obit.komo

More Bailouts!

The Automaker Bailout

The economic crisis for the United States continues to suffer as stocks all along Wall Street fall to record lows.  Every part of the economy cannot escape the current problems, even with the recent bailout.  Most recently, the American automaker industry is facing bankruptcy.  The main three car manufacturers, GM, Daimler-Chrysler, and Ford Motor Companies are suffering insurmountable debts as a result of lost business to foreign carmakers and are now calling on the government in an attempt to get their own bailout.  These companies called for approximately 25 billion dollars, yet offered no plans as to how the money would be used.  The impending decision may seem ideal in the short run to keep the industry alive, yet, the long run results could be more disastrous a few years down the road once the money runs out. 

There is no question that American car companies struggle to compete with foreign companies such as Toyota or Honda.  Foreign vehicles are more appealing to American buyers, pure and simple.   Economist, Peter Morici, believes that allowing these three carmakers to go bankrupt will be the best thing for the industry and will offer the least amount damage.  This reasoning, although it may not be very appealing on the surface, makes the most sense, and thus should be strongly considered by the government before any action should be taken.

“There are problems with the way they develop vehicles and position vehicles within the marketplace” (Morici).  Morici’s statement uncovers the underlying problems that automakers face.  American car companies are simply not producing vehicles that people desire.  This problem leads to the skepticism of lawmakers about distributing the bailout because the companies have offered no plan as to how the money will be used.  It is highly unlikely that 25 billion dollars would be suitable to effectively restructure the companies so that they can turn the industry around.  “It’s only within the context of bankruptcy reorganization that we are going to get the radical changes, to the root, that we need in this industry” (Morici).  By hitting rock bottom, these companies will be forced to reconstruct their entire companies based on the new demands of their customers and rebuild from the bottom up.

Union workers, along with the big three are obviously opposed to this idea, given that it would mean a great loss of jobs and an even larger hit to the economy.  Morici is quick to point out, however, that only further subsidizing the industry with bailout will cause the companies to lose more money and jobs down the road.  People will suffer now, but not nearly as bad as they will in a few years when they are forced to file for bankruptcy.

Any choice that is made surrounding this bailout of the auto industry for the United States companies will involve a loss of some kind.  The bankruptcy is inevitable for these companies in the industry, yet the only difference is how long the government chooses to subsidize them with bailout.  If we want to suffer the least amount of damage and focus our attentions on reconstructing the industry to provide vehicles that native consumers will desire, then it is imperative that the companies file for bankruptcy, cut their loses, and focus on the future.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/21/obama.bush.economy/index.html#cnnSTCVideo