Columns

In terms of pure economics, our biggest national holiday is, of course, Christmas. I read somewhere that Halloween comes in as a strong second, but I’d be surprised if it’s anywhere close to the money we Americans spend for the yuletide.

Perhaps that makes me a little off the mark, because I don’t recall much about the Christmas presents I’ve acquired over the years.

Instead, I remember experiences.

I cried most of the day Friday after I heard the news. It was unbearable to watch the special news reports on the television that hammered so relentlessly about the tragedy of children — babies for the Lord’s sake — being brutally murdered.
It took me to almost late evening Saturday before I realized why I was so out-of-proportion upset. It was because, I finally realized, in a very small way, I had faced a similar incident more than a decade ago at San Bernardino Valley College in southern California where I was president.

Do you know what came of the regional water symposium held Oct. 30 at Luna Community College?

Apparently, not much; at least, not yet.

The symposium, which was organized by Richard Trujillo of the State Engineer’s Office and Pete Campos, state senator and Luna president, was intended as a starting point for a more region-wide approach to the water problems in northeastern New Mexico.

A long-held belief — whether it’s based on myth, practice or even superstition — says that whatever doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.

Taking that analogy a step farther, we can then assume that a broken bone actually heals and becomes tougher, or a person who survives a particular illness soon become impervious to that ailment, a kind of immunity.

It was later in life that I heard many versions of the “makes us stronger” mantra, usually on the football field or at some athletic event.