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Saturday, February 28, 2009
909 - More Wyoming`s Universal Truths, Fundamental Values
“Whoa, not true!”
That is the sentiment from some folks who did not agree with my list of Wyoming’s Universal Truths and Fundamental Values, which was run as a column during the week of Feb. 1. Readers can see that column at www.billsniffin.com.
In my list of truths and values, I continually referred to our slogan as being The Equality State.
A friend who asked to remain anonymous exclaimed, when I proclaimed equality, with: “Equality? With the huge gender pay gap, rampant race discrimination, anti-gay legislation in the legislature? You gotta be kidding.”
Another female reader says: “However, as a woman I have to tell you that Wyoming is definitely NOT the Equality State. In Wyoming, everyone is equal unless . . . they are a woman . . . or a Native American . . . or black . . . or a Democrat.
“Check the demographics of judges, doctors, teachers, state employees, commissioners, commercial pilots, etc - all the powerful or high paying jobs belong to white, Y-chromosomes. Women always either giggle or grunt at the mention of the Equality State. That Wyoming had a few firsts regarding women, history tells us those were almost accidental. How many women governors have we actually had?”
To the above, Pilot Andy Gramlich reminded us all, that the real equality is of “opportunity,” not the result. The result if what you make of your opportunity.
My liberal friends (plus many others) said they have been totally offended by how many Wyomingites have used racial slurs and insults in referring to our new president Barack Obama.
My coffee mate Dave Langerman says he is impressed by Wyoming women. “They are a lot tougher than California men,” he contends. He should know. He moved here a few years ago from the land of nuts.
Local buffalo rancher Dave Raynolds offered up a kinder observation: “Wyoming`s people have always lived off its land its wild animals, forests, agriculture, minerals and scenery. Since Territorial days we have exported our products and invited tourists to enjoy our unique blessings."
Another local businessman reminded that in Wyoming we really do not have two political parties. He pointed out that a great many of so-called Republicans are really RINOS’s – Republicans in Name Only, because that is where the action is, when it comes to state politics.
From Laramie, comes the following from Karen Gibbons: “I keep thinking about how tough we are here in Wyoming. We are survivors, the original survivors. Wyoming is not for sissies or the faint of heart! But is definitely is worth it.
“My great aunt came out here on a stage coach from Billings to Cody. All 50 Codyites came out to welcome them. Her husband was Buffalo Bill’s blacksmith and his brother opened the Cody Trading Company. They had to be tough to just survive.”
One of my more cynical readers said: “How about a value for alcohol and spit tobacco use? These substances seem to be celebrated here.”
Another critic wrote: “Ask the folks in Pinedale about celebrating clean air while ozone is poisoning the air.
We celebrate as long as it doesn`t impact mineral extraction. Clean environment? Look at the entrance to nearly every berg, village, hamlet, town and city in the state. Rubbish everywhere.”
One of my more God-fearing readers (John Smithbaker) wrote me the following: “We believe in what the constitution says, not in what we want it to say.
“We are thankful we live in a Democratic Republic Country, where all states - these United States, no matter the size, get a say; versus a 51 percent democracy system where the large city populations - like Los Angeles and New York, would control all decisions.”
Former State Rep. Doug Osborn of Buffalo says: “We really are the Cowboy State. Look at the dress of the residents, the large and small rodeos every year, the love for horseback riding in many forms, the integrity of the individual, the respect for our history and each other,
“The down to earth intelligence of most of us, the love of a good time, our cell phones and BlackBerrys and laptops (how did that get in here?), the love of the mountains and plains, fishing and hunting, hard work, low taxes, quiet neighborhoods, helping our neighbors and help from our neighbors, the love of our schools at all levels, and yes our UW athletic teams and some of their coaches, the love of our kids and our elders.
“Well, you get the idea . . .”
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Wednesday, February 18, 2009
908 - Are we living in a time of universal sacrifice?
Like aliens from another galaxy, Wyomingites are looking on as our leaders in Washington, D. C. try to figure out ways to stop the country’s economic tailspin.
Congress is spending a trillion dollars, which is unimaginable to folks out here. And they are working with entities so huge and complex that, well, from here, it looks impossible.
To quote Will Rogers: “This country has come to feel the same, when Congress is in session, as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.”
In this case, our leaders may very well ruin our country in this desperate attempt to stop the hemorrhaging. Or let’s hope their efforts succeed.
Luckily, Wyoming seems to currently be somewhat bulletproof when it comes to dodging this national meltdown. We are not totally immune, but if we are smart as a state, we may be able to maintain some kind of sane existence out here.
So since we are seemingly immune, what does a bust feel like?
To many of us mossbacks, the memories are still vivid of Wyoming’s last depression.
Back in the late 1970s, we saw a situation in which much of the country was reeling in a terrible economic recession. Here in Wyoming we were booming.
It was the best time in a generation to be in business in the Cowboy State. And some folks looked down their noses at friends and relatives in those other states who were suffering.
A smug bumper sticker was popular in Wyoming in those days that read: “Let the b***tards freeze in the dark.”
Lander was enjoying that boom. Most current Wyoming people do not realize that up to 1982, Lander was the most heavily-mining oriented town in the state.
We had 550 very high paid members of the United Mineworkers Union working at the U. S. Steel iron ore mine on South Pass.
It was always a worry that this marginal mine would close some day.
As publisher of the Lander Wyoming State Journal, I wrote editorials proclaiming that we were bulletproof from an economic standpoint because if the iron mining jobs went away, we would still have the 2,000 uranium mining jobs that were in the Jeffrey City and Gas Hills areas of eastern Fremont County.
What, me worry? No problem.
Within a period of six weeks in 1982, the iron mine jobs disappeared. And those 2,000 uranium jobs? Well, they were gone, too.
Former Gov. Ed Herschler always said that Lander was hit hardest of all the cities and towns in Wyoming by the bust of the 1980s.
It was devastating.
The biggest newspaper between Chicago and Los Angeles during that time was the Denver Rocky Mountain News. They did a news story showing our forlorn Main Street with broken windows in our empty stores. The headline read: “Modern Ghost Town.” We had more than 600 homes for sale and in foreclosure.
With a lot of hard work we were able to turn Lander’s fortunes around. How we did it is a wonderful success story for another column.
Then in 1992, a man wrote a best-selling book called The 100 Best Small Towns in America, which listed Lander as number-5. We had saved our town and were getting recognition for it. That writer appeared on NBC’s TODAY show and talked a lot about Lander.
That recognition showed we had made a big impact. We had pretty much revived our town.
But was it an easy time? No, it was God awful.
It is with those memories in mind, as we encounter what many people believe is a similar scenario today for Wyoming and the country.
At first Wyoming always does well while the rest of the USA is suffering. But when the rest of the country bounces back, our state economy goes into the toilet. Will history repeat itself here?
It is easy to worry that Wyoming’s economy tends to be counter-intuitive to the rest of the country. Hopefully, we can maintain our good style of living despite what is happening outside our borders.
Luckily the state has some money socked away. It is also important that our constitution prohibits deficit spending.
Our small population is probably an advantage in reducing the pain.
But these advantages do not mean we should not be pro-active in dealing with state and national economic problems.
The best way to bring about a recovery is for everyone to be willing to lose a little something. Universal success often comes when there is, at least, a perception of universal sacrifice.
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Thursday, February 12, 2009
907 - Hot temperatures, cold economy and tepid legislators
It could probably be argued that the three most-discussed topics in America today are the economy, global warming and frustration with institutions like our big banks and our state and national governments.
Today’s column will cover those subjects in a mish-mash sort of way, as we bounce around.
Frankly, I have been entirely too serious in recent weeks while talking about raising our state’s severance tax plus other issues.
Ah, the state’s severance taxes.
To paraphrase Gov. Dave Freudenthal, “when I talk to my constituents, I do not hear them talking about gay marriage and a statewide smoking ban.”
The people of Wyoming are concerned about their jobs and the economy. And despite deafening silence in the legislature, Wyoming people do wonder why nobody is talking about increasing mineral severance taxes?
My recent column about doing a study about our severance tax system resulted in a flurry of letters from readers but not a murmur at the legislature.
Are our lawmakers so cowed by the energy lobbyists that they do not even want to talk about it?
Writer Sam Western hit the issue hard in his WyoFile.com column this past week. He compared Wyoming’s inaction with the good work Sarah Palin did in Alaska and wondered why don’t leaders here in the Cowboy State realize the rare opportunity in front of them?
The simple answer must be too much influence by the lobbyists.
But hey, the average lobbyist is not some power crazed, cigar-chomping, money-waving bully.
He or she is literally the nicest person you would ever meet. And in many cases he or she is a former colleague of the legislators.
Sam’s 4,400-word article is must reading for anyone who truly cares about Wyoming’s future economy. So good work, Sam. Just wish someone was listening.
Another big national issue is the threat of global warming. But here, it would be hard to find someone seriously complaining of the balmy temperatures.
The weather in Wyoming has been fantastic. I put the top down on my old convertible when the mercury hit 60 here in Lander ten days ago.
We were thinking of going to Florida this month but when the temps hit 60 here, it was 29 degrees down there. No reason to go to someplace colder than here.
But then I discovered real Wyoming winter weather during a trip to Cheyenne for the State Tourism Conference recently.
We drove there in a blizzard that dropped a foot of new snow (no wind, thankfully) during our trip. The next day the mercury dipped to minus 15. The third day, the wind blew 60 miles per hour closing all roads in and out of the capitol city. Winter, indeed.
We were holed up in the expanded Little America Conference Center, which was very impressive. What a wonderful addition to our state.
The conference used to be held at the late Paul Smith’s Hitching Post. Unfortunately, that historic facility is now in bankruptcy. What an odd world.
How could a place that prominent fall so far so fast? Shows that Wyoming projects with ties to companies outside the state will be prone to suffer from actions that occur far from here.
When I finally got home, my friend Clair Toponce called and offered an idea that he thought might be better than what Congress was proposing.
Instead of paying a trillion bucks to banks and car companies, he thinks the government should pay money to the families of America, instead.
While embellishing that idea, I ran some numbers. It would cost $2.5 trillion to give $21,000 each to 110 million American families.
If they did that and said you could only use the money to reduce credit card debt or buy stocks, well, that might be a heck of a stimulus.
Thanks Clair for the idea.
Jay Leno, meanwhile, says we should spend a trillion bucks and have everyone in America buy a new car – figuring some 46 million new cars and trucks. Would stimulate the economy, he says.
Jay, then again, is the consummate car guy.
He then offered his views on some of these worldly problems:
"I tell you, the economy is so bad, even people who have nothing to do with the Obama administration aren`t paying their taxes," says Leno. “The new US energy secretary predicts agriculture in California will disappear in this century because of global warming. He said people in California will no longer grow crops, except those who are growing them in their basements, attics, and garages."
Enuf said.
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Monday, February 9, 2009
WBR07 - Tourism is a $2 billion economy in Wyoming
Back in the 1990s, members of the Wyoming Travel Commission, including Cheyenne’s Jim Hearne, Jackson’s Clay James, Lusk’s Gene Kupke, others, and myself promoted a unique goal for state tourism revenue.
We called it “Two billion by two thousand,” with a goal of generating $2 billion in tourism revenue by the year 2000. It was an ambitious goal. Retired Cody Chamber of Commerce Director Gene Bryan was our then-director of the Commission.
We launched the campaign with some excitement and some success, but it did not quite reach its goal on time. We will talk about that in a moment.
The reason I am recalling this is that this number was front-page news this past week that our state had, indeed, is now annually exceeding $2 billion a year in tourism revenue. The goal was reached about five years ago.
So how big is the industry if it generates over $2 billion a year in revenue to Wyoming businesses?
Try to imagine the state of Wyoming swelling to a population of more than 7 million people? Compared to our present 520,000, this is an awesome number. If they all came on different days, it would add 105,000 people to our states population every single day.
Try to imagine what it would cost to educate the kids of all these folks? To provide jobs for all of them? To make sure there are adequate utilities in place and police protection available would cost a fortune.
What I am describing here is the number of people who come to Wyoming each year as tourists and spend over $2 billion for goods, gasoline, lodging, food, sales taxes, lodging taxes, fuel taxes and even helping with property taxes.
Tourism is the state’s number-two industry and it is poised to stay strong – and that is good news for our state’s economy amid a sea of bad economic news across the land. The industry employs more than 28,000 people and it generates about $100 million directly in taxes to our governmental entities.
Credit needs also to be given to the legislature and Gov. Dave Freudenthal for, despite tighter economic times, having seen the wisdom of financially supporting this vast industry. During trying times, it is always more important to invest money in promotion and our leaders have done the right thing.
For every dollar spent on tourism promotion, some $16 comes back in taxes. It can be argued that each dollar spent on promotion generates $300 in expenditures. It truly doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this is a good deal for the people of Wyoming.
Yellowstone Park (and neighboring Teton National Park) drives much of Wyoming’s tourism. More than 30 percent of the visitors to Yellowstone are estimated to be from foreign countries, primarily Europe. This is great news for all the cities and towns of Wyoming.
Here is why: European tourists average three weeks for their trips to the USA. This compares to about a week for a typical American tourist. They also spend more money than domestic tourists do.
But the most important thing about the Europeans is that they love our small towns. They love to “hang out” in places with romantic historic names like Cheyenne, Laramie, Rawlins and Medicine Bow.
They are smitten by the Oregon Trail and the tribes of the Wind River Indian Reservation. Old forts like Fort Laramie, Fort Bridger and Fort Caspar draw them like moths to candles.
Much of Wyoming’s tourism promotion budget is designed to attract Midwesterners to our state. Primary magnets drawing these tourists are the national parks. Thus, these Midwesterners drive all across the state twice in getting to their destination.
It becomes the task of the state and the counties to try to sell themselves to these folks so they make side trips to places like the Red Desert, the Wyoming Territorial Park, the Frontier Prison, Curt Gowdy State Park, the Big Horn Basin and many, many other wonderful attractions all over our state.
Tourism promotion is good for Wyoming and good for our economy. I am sure glad that $2 billion goal is now an annual reality.
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Friday, February 6, 2009
906 - Wyoming`s Universal Truths and Fundamental Values
The wind is our neighbor. Wind was here first. We deal with it. – Number 14 on the list of fundamental values.
When you talk about Wyoming people or think about our wonderful state, are there specific universal truths and fundamental values that come to mind?
Are they unique to our state and to our people here?
I always thought so.
My quest to identify them started when I ran for state office back in 2002. It seemed like a good idea then if I could identify them. Maybe then we would all move forward together in harmony
This quest became a much bigger task than I thought it would be.
For example, it can be argued that the people of our state really live within spheres of influence in neighbor metro areas such as Denver, Salt Lake City, Billings, Idaho Falls and Rapid City.
With all that distraction, what is it that ties us all together besides rooting for our football team?
Do folks living on our state’s borders who find themselves traveling to Denver or Billings for just about everything, well, do they feel the same kinship with someone from Casper or Lander or Buffalo or Douglas?
In my search I came to the conclusion that yes, these truths and values do matter. And they are conclusive.
Wyoming people understand these concepts. Here goes:
Wyoming Universal truths
1. Wyoming’s economy will be based on commodity values of minerals for decades to come and thus will be vulnerable to the ups and downs of worldwide prices for energy.
2. Wyoming’s future is intertwined with the desires of the people running the federal government since the people of the United States through federal agencies administer about half of the state’s land mass.
3. Education is important. A better educated population means better opportunities for all.
4. Because of low population, long distance and some degree of isolation, Wyoming’s people have unique character traits. We celebrate the individuality of our people.
5. Wyoming people celebrate truth.
6. In Wyoming, people dream. They dream big. Hope and entrepreneurship is alive. The power of an idea is important.
7. Often we are alone, but we are not lonely.
8. The idea of equality is celebrated in Wyoming.
9. Wyoming`s people have always lived off its land its wild animals, forests, agriculture, minerals and scenery. Since Territorial days we have exported our products and invited tourists to enjoy our unique blessings.
10. Despite being town dwellers or California imports, we will always be the Cowboy State.
Wyoming Fundamental Values
1. The concept that small is good means more here.
2. We celebrate our clean air, clean water and a clean environment.
3. As an entrepreneurial people, we believe in being persistent. We believe that anything worth doing is worth doing over and over with the goal that if we keep on trying, we will get it right.
4. Our government is the most open in the United States. Our elected officials are the most accessible. We celebrate that.
5. Equality in opportunity and the power of the individual are celebrated in Wyoming.
6. Wyoming people believe in being polite. We help out the needy. We wave at people we don’t know.
7. Wyoming people appreciate good health.
8. Water is perhaps our most valuable resource. Its value is never over-rated.
9. In a place often described as a small city with extremely long streets – well, we appreciate our good roads.
10. We cherish our pioneers and our veterans. We thank them for what they have done for our state.
11. Hope for the future is alive in Wyoming. We call it a child.
12. No place in the lower 48 states has the wildlife that Wyoming has – we celebrate the diversity of our animals and plants.
13. Wyoming people appreciate seasons. And dawns and sunsets. Big storms and lightning-quick changes in the weather.
14. The wind is our neighbor. Wind was here first. We deal with it.
15. We don’t like taxes, especially the concept of a state personal income tax.
16. We have learned that the way to deal with power is to share it, not hoard it.
17. We do not drive by a stranded traveler on our back roads.
18. Truth and trust are fundamental in our society. My word is my bond. You can trust my handshake.
19. All else being equal, we must be fair.
20. We are a God-fearing people. We celebrate our religious beliefs.
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Wednesday, February 4, 2009
905 - Sshh, Wyoming has a secret and it`s a big one!
Wyoming has a secret. And it’s a big one.
Sshh. Did you know that we must be getting away with murder and we sure wish you would not let anyone know about this great gig we have going on.
You see, we are scamming the big international mineral companies out of millions of dollars.
Isn’t it great?
And gosh, I really hate to blow the whistle on this secret deal we have concocted. Hard to imagine that we are still getting away with it after all these years.
Yeah, sure.
The above seems to be our lawmakers’ feelings about the current severance tax program that is our state’s largest source of income.
It is just about impossible to find anyone in Wyoming state government who feels that we might be taxing these energy companies too little when it comes to these companies removing resources from our state and sending it away.
The reality is that you could double these tax rates and nobody would notice.
These tiny taxes on coal, natural gas, oil, trona and uranium just get passed along to these companies’ consumers in Georgia or Texas or Illinois or wherever.
If they were doubled it would mean an incredible amount of new income to the people of Wyoming and the future generations of Wyoming at a time when we could use the money.
So what is so sacred about keeping these taxes where they presently are? It’s like we have a goose that keeps laying these golden eggs and everyone is afraid to discuss it.
Well, folks, it is not a golden goose. These taxes are being charged based on almost ancient formulas (1981) that need to be reviewed.
State government should lead an investigation to determine:
• Are these taxes fair and relevant in today’s world?
• Are they being accurately computed and collected?
• Are there better systems that should be considered for something as important as the largest source of revenue the state has?
• To what extent are these taxes being passed along to consumers in other states?
I would challenge our legislature to fund a commission to hold hearings and hire staff and actually try to answer these questions.
Wyoming has the best energy lobbyists in the world and they will go berserk if this idea ever sees the light of day. And since our legislators are so independent-minded as to not need aides, then these same lobbyists become their de-facto staff and their most important advisors.
Thus, this idea will disappear faster than a paper cup in Cheyenne’s wind.
However, if this ever gets discussed, defenders of the present system will claim that our low severance taxes compared to Montana’s is why our state is booming and Montana is stagnant when it comes to amounts of severance taxes collected.
Sure, it is a fact that Wyoming’s coal development is bigger than Montana’s. Insightful people also know that it is more than the size of the severance tax rate, it is a whole attitude that makes Wyoming more popular to these companies.
It’s easy to agree with that attitude of let’s aggressively serve the country’s energy needs. We are not arguing with the idea of getting the product out of the ground.
But a legitimate argument can be made that our severance taxes may be too low and may not be getting collected accurately.
And when taxes are being discussed, we need to remember that Wyoming people are among the most heavily taxed people in the country when it comes to us buying goods from outside the state. Since Wyoming produces very little in the form of exported products, except for energy, this means we import virtually everything we use.
It’s obvious that every piece of furniture or every vehicle or item of food that comes into Wyoming has had the heck taxed out of it back at its home and along the way. Those taxes are passed along to us.
So why be reluctant to increase the tax on our products that are being shipped off to other distant places?
A fine explanation of how we tax minerals can be found at http://legisweb.state.wy.us/budget/wyosevtaxes.pdf.
And there is no question that our legislators and other government leaders are busy when they are in Cheyenne. But are they busy working on the right things?
It would seem to me that spending a little time looking over our severance tax situation should be at the top of the list of their priorities.
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Tuesday, February 3, 2009
WBR06 - A newspaper convention or buggy whip convention?
After spending my entire lifetime in the newspaper business (53 of my 62 years) from paperboy to publisher, I can honestly say that 2009 is shaping up to be the most interesting year the industry has ever experienced.
Since the age of the Internet, we have been hearing that newspapers are headed toward the ash heap of history. We are told that newspapers are like buggy whips – an icon of a long-past era. National TV reports would have you believe that the modern newspaper industry is taking its dying breaths.
Regionally, the news has been horrid for big newspapers like the Rocky Mountain News in Denver and newspapers in the region owned by Lee Enterprises (Casper Star Tribune, Casper Journal, Billings Gazette, Rapid City Journal).
The Rocky Mountain News, once the most dominant newspaper between the west coast and Chicago, will be closing or may have shut down, by the time this is printed.
The huge Lee Enterprises has seen its stock price drop from near $48 per share in June 2004, to almost 36 cents a share today. This has caused massive write-downs in their accounting and Wall Street analysts have nothing good to say about their business.
Lee-owned Casper Star-Tribune laid off 15 employees in January as part of a national reduction in force by Lee businesses.
Gee, my chosen business appears to be in terrible shape. Wonder what my fellow print folks are thinking?
So there I was, attending my 39th Wyoming Press Association annual convention last month in Cheyenne. I have been a member so long, they gave me a Lifetime Membership at the Saturday night banquet. It was a great feeling but as I looked out at all these smiling faces, you had to wonder what they were all so happy about?
If things are so bad, why are so many of our publishers smiling so broadly? So I talked with a number of them. And this is what they had to say about their industry:
“We just had the best year we ever had,” said Dale Bohren, publisher of the Casper Journal.
Gary Stevens, the publisher of the Saratoga and Pine Bluffs newspapers plus several in other states said, “Business is great. But money is hard to get. This is probably the best time ever to buy a newspaper.”
His partner, Robb Hicks, who owns the Buffalo Bulletin, plus many other newspapers in the region, says: “You tell a banker that you need money to buy a newspaper and they look at you like you are crazy!”
Then there was the anonymous employee of Lee Enterprises who said having his local operating budgets being affected by the national problems of his parent company is “like being handcuffed to a drunken cowboy.”
Pat Schmidt of the Thermopolis Independent- Record said they had a good year but not quite as good as two years ago. “Still, it’s the best possible business to be in.”
Curt Moberg owner of the Sundance Times said, “These are the best of times to be in this business. The local newspaper is the dominant local voice for news and ads.” He appreciated being located near Gillette with its robust energy-based economy.
Toby Bonner, outgoing president of the Wyoming Press Association and publisher at Powell, said 2008 was great until November and then everything came to a screeching halt. He thought December was flat, too, until he compared the numbers and found it to be a normal 12th month, revenue-wise.
Mike McCracken, publisher of the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, held tours of their brand new pressroom addition in Cheyenne. The $15 million dollar project must be the biggest printing operation in the state.
He says they are picking up some Front Range business from Colorado and he sees a bright future for printing and publishing. He also said they have not hired anyone for a while and have been keeping payroll down.
Jim Angel, the director of the WPA, said his outfit made a nice profit in 2008, which is partially due to the election-year advertising by politicians.
Two big problems affecting papers are the loss of want ad revenue to the Internet and the problem of hiring paper carriers. Stevenson, who owns the newspaper in Sidney, NE, finally got mad at the latter problem and cancelled his carrier network and now mails his paper every day.
And one of the best-attended seminars at the convention was by a fellow showing how to create a profitable web presence. “If you can’t beat them, then join them,” he told the attentive crowd.
So the newspaper business may be sad in other parts of America but here in the Cowboy State, it appears to be robust, indeed.
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Sunday, February 1, 2009
WCR06 - When calamities hit, people learn to live in present
Not long ago, a good friend died from cancer.
Our friend had been diagnosed about three years earlier, which brought back memories of what my wife Nancy and I went through back in 1999.
A main thing that happens when a serious negative health diagnosis occurs is you suddenly start to “live in the present.”
Now there are many people who seem to live in the past. Some people even hearken back to their glory days in high school. Comic Robert Morley said: “Anyone who remembers junior high joyfully was either a bully or a bore.”
In today’s economy, there are people who do not like the present. It is not hard to find people who are angry because of the national meltdown or because they lost their job.
There are people who seem to live for the future. I was probably one of those. My business life has been spent building companies.
But if you want to find somebody who really lives in the present, go find somebody who has been diagnosed with cancer. Or their spouse.
During the summer of 1999, the Good Lord was telling me to sell our newspapers in Wyoming and Hawaii so that I could run for governor. Or so I thought . . .
About a month after we sold, Nancy was diagnosed with breast cancer and cancer in a lymph node. Our future plans changed.
Plans of running for political office were put on a shelf. The future suddenly didn’t matter very much. It was just important to get through another day.
Nancy’s oncologist was a good man with a sense of irony. “I’m going to use terms with you today that will sound strange,” he said. “By next year, they will become very common to you.”
We learned about those things, such as Cytoxan, Adriamycin, Taxotere, neutropenia, Leukopenia, Zophran and Neupagen. These are chemicals, medicines or medical conditions related to cancer.
When we received her diagnosis, the local community was wonderful. We had an unbelievable amount of support and prayers. Have you ever had a whole community praying for you? Pretty awesome and humbling.
Have you ever had someone cook dinner and bring it to your home? I really fought this idea. Then you realize your friends are reaching out and want to help. So we relented. And the food was great.
For 18 months, we dealt with her chemotherapy and radiation. Nancy got very sick and was hospitalized that Christmas, when her immune system was virtually useless.
I kept a pretty good journal of that period and here is one memorable item:
“We tried to celebrate the arrival of the Millennium, Dec. 31, 1999. At midnight, I was standing outside our home with the dog, sipping a glass of champagne and watching the fireworks in the distance. Nancy and our granddaughter Daylia, were sleeping inside the house.
“We had just gotten Nancy home from the hospital in time for the New Year. Our grown children were off to parties and I stayed home to watch over my two sleeping girls.
“When midnight struck, I quietly sneaked into our bedroom and gently woke Nancy up. She was groggy. ‘Happy New Year, honey.’ She took a small sip from my glass. Then she rolled over and went back to sleep. I walked back to the center of our darkened house and rather ominously wondered what kind of year we were going to have in 2000?”
And now, Thank God, here we are, over nine years after her initial diagnosis, and things are going well.
Some 30 months after her diagnosis, her oncologist said he doubted she would ever die of cancer. Like a breath of fresh air, we could really start thinking about the future again, which was one of the reasons I ran for governor in 2002.
Perhaps my message is that those people who are hurting could always use encouragement and some company. It is very normal for people to console someone during the time of their hurt, but then everyone sort of goes away.
Real friends will check in on these folks every so often with real concern. You cannot really know how much it is appreciated until it happens to you.
And finally, my friend Karen Gibbons of Laramie whose son-in-law died of cancer reminded me that her take on living in the “present” is to remind yourself how much our time on earth really is a gift from the Almighty.
Sort of like a present, maybe?
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