Looking Back on 2009

[ftwildernessguy]

While on active duty in the Army, no matter where I was in the world, I would lay down in my bunk at night and review the day. Hopefully, I could come up with something positive that had allowed me to make some sort of progress. Often, that wasn't the case, but more often than not I could come up with something that went right during the day, and I could say that the end of the day was at least a little bit better than it had been at the beginning. After I went into business for myself, I expanded on this and took the last day of the year to review the year from the business perspective. It's always nice to be able to say that, at the very least, I am better off at the end of the year than I was at the beginning. To say this year was a challenge would be an understatement, but we had a much better year than many who have lost jobs, had financial hardships or negative changes in their health. Carol and I had our share of health scares this year, and I am greatful that today I received some very good news for myself in this respect, ending 2009 on a good note. This was indeed a challenging year from a business perspective, navigating through the worst recession I have seen since we started in 1988, but while there were many ups and downs during this year, a single event stands out as by far the highlight of this year: meeting many new faces at WDW this fall, and reuniting with some old. Carol and I indeed are blessed to know so many of you, and I can't describe what a thrill BATWiT was for me personally this year. I have a group photo of you all on my computer screen in my home office which always brings a smile to my face. Despite our different backgrounds, ages and beliefs we were all able to come together in this place we hold so dearly and have a truly wonderful time. I will never forget that day, and I thank you all for making it possible for me. So I wish my good friends the happiest of New Years. No matter what 2010 may bring us, may we all realize how truly wealthy we are with the friendships we have fostered both on and off this board.

 

[RvUsa]

BLESS YOU Jim! I was just sitting here by myself AGAIN, and feeling really sorry for myself, and I read you post and I am sitting here smiling. I have to say I am sooooo happy that 2009 is over, what a year. Batwit, and the GG were definitely a bright spot in my lousy year! Thank you to you Jim for bringing that together for all of us, and thank you to all my new friends, and old friends that I finally got to meet.

Here's hoping that 2010 is a great year for all of us, I think we need it, I know I DO!


Happy new year Fiends!

 

[MandMLUVMMandDVC]

Jim and John....both of you made me smile. Thanks for being so nice and letting us newbies feel we are welcome into the group (and of course into the BATWit). It was such a pleasure to meet you all and we look forward to 2010's GG! Wishing you a very Happy New Year.

 

[auntie]

Aww, that was so sweet Jim. I wish I could have joined you all this year. Although, it was wonderful sharing in the excitement, looking at all the photos from the Grand Gathering.
I've had kind of a rough year myself. I too have been trying to pull some good out of 2009. I do have a good deal to be thankful for, and now... more than ever, I don't take it for granted. I have been the recepient of a good many prayers, and good wishes from all my friends here on the board. At times I've even felt like the burden of the board, asking for prayers. Yet.. you all have come through for me. Lending your support and encouragement time and again. I'm not sure I can adequately articulate how very much the support and friendship that so many of you have offered this past year has meant to me. You are a great group of people, and I'm proud and thankful to call you friends.
Happy and Healthy 2010!

 

[Born 2 Fish]

Nicely said Jim, I need to take some of your advice and apply it to my daily routine,, good stuff.
Heres to the very best to you and all the friends this new year.

 

[des1954]

Thank you, Jim. Meeting you, Carol, and some of the other Fiends was definitely the "high point" of my year!

 

[disney4dan]

Thanks for doing this Jim, and I agree. This was a very challenging year both economically and health wise for our family. I will say that I have found out the strength and weaknesses in our family this year. Like the saying goes, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger" and I look forward to recharging my internal batteries over the next few weeks. As I sit and type this my youngest is cuddled up on the couch with Nancy fighting a fever of 103 and they watch the weather predicting another foot of snow for tomorrow. But my oldest is back on track and very focused on his own recovery. He has a plan in place on how he wants to enter his young adult life in a better way and I see that spark coming back to someone who had a crash and burn kind of year. My daughter is safe, healthy and doing well in her first year of middle school (and still loves her Daddy). And Nancy and I celebrated our 20th this year with a deeper appreciation of what marriage is all about. Now, if I could just get her to understand that we need a dog.

 

[liv luvs disney]

Thank you Jim for your reflection! Though I've never met any of you, I feel blessed to have you in my life. There are so many days this board is a blessing and an encouragement to me. I can always find a laugh on here when I need it and oftentimes I see that my problems pale in comparison to what some of you have had to go through. Even if I never come face to face with any of you (though I hope I do), the world is a better place with you in it!

 

[2goofycampers]

Jim and above posters you are so right 2009 simply stunk, for us financially and the added stress that brings. But, we are still healthy so we live to see another year, hopefully it's a GOOD one.

Happy New Year !

 

[auntie]

Now, if I could just get her to understand that we need a dog.

Hey Dan, if she won't go for a dog.. I can always get you a real bargain on a one eye cat!.. What?... I'm just sayin'.

Best of health for your family in 2010!

 

[RNmomnFL]

Thanks. Needed that reminder to get out of the "woe is me" thinking I've been favoring & acknowledge all the good in life. 2009 has been such a struggle with financial worries & us having a large family means constant medical or dental concerns. The credit cards are about maxed, my suburban needs work & both medical/dental specialist referrals are being ignored as the additional hours spent working leave no time for those. Alas, it sounds dire & I focus too much energy on dwelling on these negatives. There are many positives that came out of '09, first and foremost the graduation from the University of South Florida of our oldest. We're together & enjoyed a festive Christmas. Plus, despite all the complaining about having to work so much, Hubby & I still have our jobs. I am so grateful to this board for all the commiseration & support and appreciate the opportunity to tell you.

 

[ntsammy5]

Jim, what an awesome way to look at things. I must admit though, on active duty many times I was just grateful for the fact that I was still alive and had no more holes in me at the end of the day than I did at the start - that didn't happen all the time either.

Thanks for all the friends here. It is a very special place.

 

[BRDof3]

Amen to Jim, and the others as well. I have to remind myself over and over again that no matter how bad I thought my situation was, many others had it worse- and handled it with grace and dignity. There were lessons to be learned, I hope I learned them. We are healthy, gainfully employed, and financially stable. I have it better than I think sometimes.

2010 has started off just fine, with a lot of family getting together and enjoying each other. The kids and I are back at home and trying to decompress a bit and rest. We have the weekend before the hectic schedules start again.

A happy 2010 to you all, and may it find me able to join in a GG wherever it is happening. Cheers!

 

[We4mickey]

I can say we are one of the families that saw the bad end of the recession with DH losing his job last year. He does still have his temporary job and for that we are thankful. The highlight of the year was definately the grand gathering of fort fiends. It was probably a trip we should have postponed, but we had such a great time and met the best people. I wouldn't have traded it for anything. Jim and Carol is was great to see you both again. Everyone was fantastic and we look forward to being able to meet everyone of you again in the future. Happy New Year!

 

[3gr8kids]

While on active duty in the Army, no matter where I was in the world, I would lay down in my bunk at night and review the day. Hopefully, I could come up with something positive that had allowed me to make some sort of progress. Often, that wasn't the case, but more often than not I could come up with something that went right during the day, and I could say that the end of the day was at least a little bit better than it had been at the beginning. After I went into business for myself, I expanded on this and took the last day of the year to review the year from the business perspective. It's always nice to be able to say that, at the very least, I am better off at the end of the year than I was at the beginning. To say this year was a challenge would be an understatement, but we had a much better year than many who have lost jobs, had financial hardships or negative changes in their health. Carol and I had our share of health scares this year, and I am greatful that today I received some very good news for myself in this respect, ending 2009 on a good note. This was indeed a challenging year from a business perspective, navigating through the worst recession I have seen since we started in 1988, but while there were many ups and downs during this year, a single event stands out as by far the highlight of this year: meeting many new faces at WDW this fall, and reuniting with some old. Carol and I indeed are blessed to know so many of you, and I can't describe what a thrill BATWiT was for me personally this year. I have a group photo of you all on my computer screen in my home office which always brings a smile to my face. Despite our different backgrounds, ages and beliefs we were all able to come together in this place we hold so dearly and have a truly wonderful time. I will never forget that day, and I thank you all for making it possible for me. So I wish my good friends the happiest of New Years. No matter what 2010 may bring us, may we all realize how truly wealthy we are with the friendships we have fostered both on and off this board.

Well said, Jim, and ditto. (Well, ditto except for the Active duty in the army thing, and me laying in a bunk, and then going into business for myself, and attending BATWiT [which, by the way, is by far one of my 2009 most regretable moments]. I was there in spirit and only missed it by a day, sniff. Isn't there anyone who can photoshop me or my spirit-like image in to the pic???) hehehe

But seriously, I'm glad to hear you received good news to end the year right, here's hoping for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2010 for all.

 

[mamaloya]

Wow Jim, kinda deep there huh? LOL

Well, ya'll know how my year went, most of you anyway. It was a VERY rough year, emotionally, physically, and financially. I did get to see that good does triumph over evil. You know who is you know where for 108 years. That sorta ends that. I have moved on with my life. I am going back to college in 2010 to finally finish the BS I started 20 years ago. I intend to get my masters after that.

My daughter was hospitalized 6 times for 1-2 weeks each, but finally seems to be doing well. We are hoping this new med keeps her stabilized. The other kids each took turns with the swine flu, but lived to tell about it. Must be all the bacon we ate had upped their ability to fight it off. LOL

The army has worked out our financial situation better than I expected, just got that news on the 30th. YAY Army!!!! No one is allowed to say anything bad about my Army. They may be a bureaucracy, but they are family and come through when needed. My army wife friends will be with me forever. Our JAG officer will also always hold a place in my heart, including his entire team.

Despite all that happened, I never lost the part of me that feels blessed no matter what. We are so much better off than most people. Even when money was tight, my kids were awesome. They did not boohoo about what we did not have. They even took postponing out disney trip in stride.

2010 will host an awesome disney trip to FW, hopefully meeting some of you at the GA GG, my daughter's continual improvement, the birth of my 2nd grandchild, college for me, and my kids and I growing closer together and continuing to see that life is awesome and full of blessings.

Thanks Jim for starting this thread. I had a good cry and officially put 2009 behind me.

 

[2goofycampers]

2010 Contract







After serious & cautious consideration... Your contract of friendship has
been renewed

For the New Year 2010!



My Wish for You in 2010



May peace break into your home and may thieves come to steal your debts.



May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.



May love stick to your face like Vaseline and may laughter assault your
lips!



May the problems you had, forget your home address!



In simple words ............



May 2010 be the best !!!

 

[bigdisneydaddy]

Very well said Jim. In a year that was marked by some painful goodbyes I think we as a family triumphed over adversity and have made positive things happen. I am blessed in many ways and I never lose sight of that.

 

[stacktester]

Although 2009 wasn't a bad business year for me I saw a lot of friends struggle and some lost campers, vehicles and other belongings they could no longer afford. Didn't see anyone lose a house though and somehow they managed to keep things together.

IMO a lot of people got used to the term "charge it" and that's what has caused a lot of this economy because it grew so big on credit that most people couldn't afford.

I have a cousin who is a few months older than me who has terminal breast cancer and has for a few years now. Somehow the Dr.'s have managed to keep her going with a fairly good quality of life for now. Every time I think how rough things can be I think of Linda and the trials she's faced. She lost her husband a few years ago in an accident and has a 10 y/o son who will lose his mom one day. It's hard to complain when you know what she's going through.

 

[Just Beachy]

Very well said, Jim! Could things be better? Sure. Could they be worse? Absolutely! I am blessed, no doubt about it. I have a roof over my head, food to eat (and usually eating too much ), Dh and I both have our jobs, and good health for my family and myself. Sometimes I forget that there are a lot of people who are not as fortunate.

I was lucky enough to meet many more of you wonderful Fiends in person last year....one of the best things about my 2009! I am so blessed to be able to call all of you my friends. I hope to be able to see all of you again in 2010. Here's to much happiness, love and prosperity in the New Year!