As we ring out the old and embark on the New Year, two things naturally happen. On the one hand we look back on the year that was with mixed emotions; either with gratefulness for what we accomplished or thankful that the year is over.

On the other hand, we look forward to the new one filled with hope for a new beginning; with resolve to make the new one, the one that will bring us prosperity and fulfill our every wish.

Being a realist, I tend to look back in a reflective mode more so than I look forward. I suppose that comes from so many years of making resolutions and breaking them before the second week of January rolls around.

Looking backwards is not all bad though. It gives us an opportunity to reflect on our wins and losses. It allows us to learn from what we did right and what we did wrong. It teaches us to have a more realistic vision of where we want to go; of the road we will take.

Over the past year, I have written this weekly column in hopes that I might share my view of things that I hope matter to most of us. At times I have succeeded, at other times I have failed miserably. Never the less, I tried. In 2006 I will continue to try.

When I review the topics that I covered in this space, nothing stands out more than the very people who helped inspire them. The people who give of their time in service to this community as an elected official or civic volunteer, or just someone who cares enough to give of their time and get involved; they provided much to discuss. The others, Lubbock citizens who also gave of their time, got involved in the issues, took a stand on principles; they provided even more inspiration.

For us who happen to live in the greatest country in the world, the world gave much to think about; from war and all its horrible consequences to deadly natural disasters to the passing of a religious leader unlike some of us have seen in modern times.

There were other things that were not so pleasant to bear witness to: an ugly national political landscape, American citizens dieing right before our eyes in New Orleans, the reality of poverty like we had never witnessed it before.

If it seems to you that

I tend to focus on the glass being half empty rather than half full, there is a reason. I believe that we learn more from the things that go wrong than from the things that go right. It is the adversity that we face in our lives that continuously forms our vision and hopefully inspires us to do better. If things are going right, we can be grateful, but realistically we know that many challenges lie ahead. Adversity prepares us for those challenges.

In the grand scheme of things though, I must admit that all these things that we witnessed, give me hope. I like to think that it does the same for you our reader.

It gives me hope because we have survived them and hopefully we are working to make things better.

It is when we cease to have hope, that we may as well raise the white flag.

As we continue to face these challenges I hope that we can remember that we are only a small part of the total sum and that all of us can contribute in our own way for the good of all.

If we come to the end of 2006, and can all look back and say that we did just a little better than the year before; then we will have realized success.

Here’s a toast to you the reader. At the end of the day, I could not do what I do without you. May the New Year bring us all what ever it is we hope for.

Happy 2006! Email : acruztsc@aol.com