As the family, friends and feasting pause for a breather, a bit of digestion and contemplation of the next upcoming festivities, I thought it was a good time to take a few moments to reflect on all there is for which we can be thankful and recognize that so much good that surrounds us. It is time to contemplate those thousands of small, courageous actions and dreams accomplished that are truly building a better world.
Here at Christie & Co, the inspiration for our company is rooted in a heritage of pioneers and innovators. In the 1950’s, my dad Peter Christie chose a road less travelled and began an architectural career building sustainable modern Bauhaus structures that was at the forefront of the evolution to green building. Along with other brave engineers of his day, we now have computers that started with Fortran, we have transistor radios, color TV, Velcro, bar codes and the polio vaccine. Yes, during this time we also saw the creation of solar cells, lasers, Barbie and the hula hoop. Unfortunately, not all ingenuity was for good. The H bomb initiated what President Eisenhower forewarned us about: The rise of the Military Industrial Complex.
Ingenuity and creativity can be focused toward any goal. In the 1960’s through 2000’s, human efforts developed spaceflight, LED lighting, ZIP Codes (did you know that ZIP means Zoning Improvement Plan!), the Ford Mustang, fiber optics, Disco, Post-it notes, Gore Tex, Apple computers, MTV, contact lenses, WWW, Nintendo, Air Jordans and together the world saw the fall of the Berlin Wall, the rise of the Civil rights movement, the counterculture of the ‘60’s which gave birth to the natural industry, environmentalism and rock. It also was the time of loss of JFK, Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.
And in the last 20 years, creativity and courage have abounded and blossomed. Entrepreneurism is being nourished for any age and at any level. We are seeing big corporations reflecting on their environmental impact and integrating betterment programs into their advertising. We are seeing the freedom of the press where anyone can open their own media channel and be heard, anywhere. We are seeing agriculture respected for providing food for all through innovation, enhanced crop management and water technologies. We have access to global news, whether true or false, in real time and the freedom to choose what to see, read and believe. We have freedom of religion, lifestyle, expression, curiosity, private property, movement and if not, we have the rights to do something about those who may not have these freedoms.
Yes, I am thankful for all who use creativity and their ingenuity to make this game better. For those who think destruction and strife is a valuable contribution to this game of life, remember, the good guys will win. They always have. For that I am thankful.
Here at Christie & Co, we are here to help the good guys build a better game, a more fruitful life, a peaceful playing field. What are you thankful for?
-Gillian