2008

2008 was, in a word, tectonic.

My brother Joe passed away on January 9, 2008 due to lung cancer. I think of him daily and continue to share a special bond with him, connected as we were at the poles of life. He cut my umbilical cord, helped me get over the loss of my favorite pet when I was 5, showed me how to tie my shoes, quit his job so he could attend my college graduation. He was truly a gentle and generous spirit. He taught me to reserve judgement, to recognize that people add value in unexpected ways and gave me a great appreciation for the strength of my family. He also inspired me to quit smoking. I have not smoked a cigarette since September 2007. I miss him.

After the funeral, I was emotionally spent and in need of a break from reality. I was grateful to go on a Carribean cruise to celebrate Andres' father's 65th birthday. We stopped in St. Thomas, St. Maarten, and the Bahamas. It was fun, and I enjoy being around his wonderful family.

Professionally, 2008 was a good year. I was part of a team that re-launched our international air freight portfolio which was viewed as a great success. From there, I was moved onto an ocean freight marketing strategy project which allowed me to travel to Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands. I think that the work done as part of the ocean freight strategy project will also contribute a lot of value to the company over time.

My lifelong friend, Kristin, got married in May. I was lucky enough to spend the 4th of July in Philadelphia with many close friends from college. Andres and I went to Las Vegas, Chicago, and Cuba.

Cuba was interesting as I had never visited a socialist country. My impression of socialism is people drying their underwear facing the street and not giving a damn. People stand around interminably, waiting. For what, I don't know because nothing happens there, except people fix their cars on an almost daily basis. Tourists with their cameras lap it up to the point of perversion. Tour buses arrive hours late, if they arrive at all. We were surprised to find that Cuba is expensive despite the fact that the average person makes about $20 USD per month. This is due to the use of a separate currency and separate prices for tourists. Despite the frustrations we encountered, the lack of many freedoms, material goods or even decent food selections in grocery stores, I must admit that there seems to be a great degree of respect for life and order in that society. I still wouldn't want to live there.

The world in general was unthinkably crazy. Bear Stearns, Lehman Bros, AIG, Merrill Lynch, WaMu all collapsed. Henry Paulson was the architect of an enormous government bailout, marking the end of unchecked capitalism. The Detroit automakers are now in line for a handout. We elected the first black president. The housing market crashed. I still think we have an even bigger crisis looming as people rely heavily on credit for necessary items and access to credit is increasingly squeezed. Gas went from around $90 a barrel to $150 and back down below $50. Eliot Spitzer went down in a prostitution ring scandal. Gov. Blagojevich of Illinois made an ass of himself. Bernie Madoff's $50B ponzi scheme came crashing down.

On a more positive note, the Olympics in Beijing were spectacular. I was proud of a former Penn teammate who won a gold medal in the women's 8 rowing event. I was also proud of UPS's involvement in the logistics of handling equipment and running the opening and closing ceremonies. I am hopeful that sustainable energy policy will be a top priority moving forward. Small businesses with laudable purposes are cropping up at a faster rate than I can recall in the past. One of my favorite finds this year is a restaurant called World Peace Cafe which serves healthy food and is operated by volunteers. Proceeds go toward building Buddhist meditiation centers, a hospice, and a community temple. I think platforms like facebook, twitter, linkedin, kiva.org all facilitate coordinated social activist efforts to an unprecedented degree. I think people are becoming more aware of ways to contribute, and I believe the majority of people are compassionate enough to take small steps. I think 2009 will be a good year.