The future doesn't play favorites ...
it has no trends ... no winners ... no losers.
It's a blank sheet - waiting. How will you make your mark?

10/18/03 - I read more today of two young boys - born half a world away in Egypt - joined together as one at their heads. It was a story of hope, love and triumph - put together by people with faith, planning and careful attention to details.

From all the people involved in this encouraging story came the belief that the future could be better, not for themselves, but for two delightful little boys who had earned the love of everyone they encountered. The success in giving each of these children the gift of his own identity is now known throughout the entire world.

The odds must have seemed insurmountable. Born conjoined, these babies were from parents without money and without connections. They were from a small village 500 miles south of Cairo where no one could imagine the story that was about to unfold.

Yet there was faith, and a diligent physician in Egypt, who - in spite of facing deep depression over the sudden accidental loss of his own son - found the strength and the challenge of making a difference for the sons of others - by charting a course to their future.

It was a perilous journey - that is not over yet - but, today we celebrate two young boys waking in their own beds for the very first time - and on a road to recovery with the speed that surprises even the very physicians who put them on their way.

One member of the 60-person medical team that participated in the seemingly miraculous operation - smiled as he waved off the the awe at what had been done. He simply said, "We had a whole year to study and plan this operation."

He was referring to the detailed studies of the physiology of the task - using every available diagnostic miracle of science. The course was laid carefully - even using precisely detailed models of the boys' bodies for study - and when the day came to act, few surprises were encountered. It went almost exactly as planned.

None of this came without the obvious risks - the gambles, the uncertainties, the ethics of risking life as it was for life that might be better. Just months before, two young women from Iran - conjoined from birth - had perished in an attempt to separate them.

From the "blank sheet of paper" representing the future of two boys from Egypt, was forged a likelihood for wonderful lives - instead of the alternatives. Along with this came the applause and admiration of the world.

Here in the tenth month of a year that has passed quickly - we have watched as the future unfolded on war, on economic hardship, and on governments and private institutions facing financial disasters. We have seen great storms leave whole parts of our nation without electricity, and quirks of our power grid do the same. In California, we have seen the milestone replacement of a governor, when many of the best political analysts said it couldn't be done.

The future has proven again how its uncharted waters will almost guarantee surprises - and opportunity for all. 

Yet those who set themselves to the task of shaping the future - like the ones who influenced the fate of those 2-year-olds, Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim - have an uncommon way of focusing on a vision - then making it happen. And when their perseverance and self-confidence is as steadfast as the quality of their ambitions, the future is generally kind.

The first welcome signs of an improving economy are materializing. The forecasters have been busy marking up their spreadsheets and now widely estimate the economy grew at a stunning rate of more than 6 percent in the third quarter, the fastest pace since late 1999. We all hope this is a reality that continues. 

How will you etch that blank sheet - that clean slate - to chart your future? The pen is in your hand!

That's it for this month. Thanks for tuning in - and if you have some comments - we'd enjoy hearing from you.



William H. Thompson
Principal

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