Opinions

What are you thankful for? This year has been an interesting one for me on both a personal and professional level. It has been a year met with many life-altering moments and hardships, but one that has also brought me great growth as I have looked to rise above those hardships.

Thanksgiving and the attitude of gratitude Have you ever given to someone something of value and not received a “thank you” or even an acknowledgement of the gift? How did you feel about that? As Saint Ambrose said, “No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks,” but in today’s America, the Land of Plenty, instead of gratitude we see a growing attitude of entitlement. Perhaps we as parents have unintentionally created this mindset. As Johann Wolfgang von Goethe warned, “Too many parents make life hard for their children by trying too zealously, to make it easy for them.”

As we approach the 2023-2024 winter season, the Activities Department is buzzing with excitement for the upcoming events that promise to make this school year memorable. The calendar is filled with activities, some of which are undergoing significant transformations.

Did you know that Nebraska and 40 other states filed multiple lawsuits against the parent company of Facebook and Instagram? The cartoon to the right of this touches base on that with some appreciated humor to what I consider to be an extremely serious situation. If you have a moment check out the New York Times article in regards to the lawsuit.

The Power of Money If you want to get a teenager’s attention, ask him if he would like to become a millionaire by the time he’s 65. Tell him it will take a relatively minimal investment and absolutely no effort after he reaches the age of 21.

Last Saturday was a beautiful day for a Veterans Day parade and we at the chamber are grateful we were able to assist our local American Legion Post in celebrating both past and present veterans. Thank you to all the businesses, bands, EMS personnel and individuals who spent their Saturday afternoon honoring those who fought for our freedom and made it possible for us to gather in celebration.

One question that I often hear this time of year is people wanting to know what I am doing with my time now that we have a break from covering sports. My general answer is, all the things I put off during the fall sports season.

A salute to veterans Camaraderie—the rapport and comradeship that unites a group of people—is found wherever people gather. It’s evident on sports teams, in church groups, within school classes and it unites members of a family. However, as a veteran of the U.S. Military, I can think of no deeper bond than that found within a military combat unit. Few things weld people together into a tight-knit group more than shared hardship, pain, suffering and the rigors of discipline. This is especially true when lives hang in the balance in support of a common mission.