LET'S NOT TALK OURSELVES INTO IT

Well, another year over, and what a year it's been!

It started with natural disasters, and rolled into overseas economic breakdowns, state elections and a year that was at best challenging!

As we run into Christmas I thought I would put out a thought I was given that has a central message - it's really up to us what we make of the situation.

There was a man who lived by the side of the road and sold hot dogs.

He was hard of hearing so he had no radio. He had trouble with his eyes so he read no newspapers. But he sold good hot dogs.

He put up signs on the highway telling how good they were. He stood on the side of the road and cried, "Buy a hot dog, Mister?" And people bought.

He increased his meat and bun orders. He bought a bigger stove to take care of his trade.

He finally got his son home from college to help him out. But then something happened.

His son said, "Dad, haven't you been listening to the radio?"
"There's a big recession."
"The European situation is terrible."
"The domestic situation is worse."

Whereupon his father thought, "Well, my son's been to college, he reads the papers and he listens to the radio, he ought to know."

So the father cut down on his meat and bun orders, took down his advertising signs, and no longer bothered to stand out on the highway to sell his hot dogs.

And his hot dog sales fell almost overnight.
"You're right Son." the father said to the boy.
"We certainly are in the middle of a great recession."

IN A NUT SHELL:

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your family all the very best for Christmas and the New Year. We look forward to catching up with you then; so be safe, enjoy, relax and let's make 2012 a success.

I look forward to seeing you on the floor.