“Curmudge, two years ago our holiday greeting was about being politically correct; last year we shared our concerns about homeless people and those who couldn’t get home for the holidays. What will we talk about this year?”
“It beats me, Jaded Julie. I surely don’t envy those members of the clergy who have to think up a new holiday sermon or homily each year.”
“It sounds as if the priesthood wouldn’t have been a good vocation for you, Curmudge.”
“That’s for sure, and my wife and children will certainly agree…I’ve got an idea, Julie. Instead of talking about the end-of-year holidays, let’s focus on New Years and try to make some predictions for next year.”
“Give it a try, Ancient Oracle. I believe the outcomes of your tacit forecasts for 2009 exceeded some of your gloomiest expectations.”
“Let’s start with Affinity. Renovation of St. Elizabeth Hospital, guided by Lean and LEED principles, will be under way. You and I will remain proud to be affiliated with the ‘Lean Team.’”
“One’s micro-, or personal, happiness impacts everyone around them (1). What do you see as your personal happiness in 2010, Curmudge?”
“Barring health and family adversities and as long as I can continue to come in here every day and chat with you, Julie, my micro-happiness index should stay pretty high. And I will keep trying to spread it around St. E’s. This is the friendliest place I ever worked (if that’s what one calls what I do).”
“My guess is that you don’t feel as positive about our nation and the world around us. That would be macro-happiness or macro-unhappiness, right?”
“Right, Julie. Our nation’s macro-unhappiness seems to be high and rising. We are sharply divided on many issues, and we seem to be perpetually at war.”
“To refresh your memory on perpetual war, you went back to George Orwell’s classic book, 1984 (2).”
“It was required reading when I was a college freshman in 1952. Then, I considered it to be ‘only a book.’ Now I worry that Orwell might have been, in some ways, prescient. As his novel seems to suggest, we and our way of life may be the objectives of subjugation both from within and without.”
“Hey, Curmudge! That last part of your prognostication (did I say that?) was really depressing. Well, at least it’s something that we can revisit this time next year. So what is your one-word seasonal greeting for our readers?”
“’Hope,’ Jaded Julie.”
“’Peace,’ Curmudge.”
Affinity’s Kaizen Curmudgeon
(1) Prager, D. Happiness is a Moral Obligation. (March 2007) http://www.studentnewsdaily.com/commentary/printer-friendly/article/happiness_is_a_moral_obligation/
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteen_Eighty-Four
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