Looking for Celebration?

As 2010 approaches its final days, we’re all looking for a reason to celebrate. The economy is still in the pits and there are as many people unemployed now, in what the economists call a jobless economic recovery, as at the height of the recession, but an atmosphere of cooperation seems to be taking hold in the nation’s capital that might bode well for 2011.

President Obama has moved first to give the Republicans, who will control the House of Representatives in 2011, what they wanted most; an extension to the so-called Bush tax cuts for all taxpayers, including the richest. The concession gives the President and the liberal wing of his Democratic Party a much-needed continuation of unemployment benefits for the jobless and some economic stimulus measures for small business people, who provide most of the jobs in the nation.

The extremists in both parties will not be satisfied, but, in fact, it is when the Democrats and the Republicans share power and responsibility that they can accomplish the most for the American people or be damned for not doing so at the polls in the next election.

The big money Republican interests that gave President Obama and his party a beat-down in the November midterm elections, may, therefore, stop sitting on their hands and pump serious investment into the economy that finally creates significant new jobs. New jobs beget consumer confidence that turns into spending and, hence, more new jobs. Who knows the trend might take off and some of us might be able to stop frowning so much.

Unlike our friends who live in Celebration, an “ideal” community created by Walt Disney near his amusement world to promote sameness. They are ruffling their brows because the unthinkable has just happened. Celebration had its first murder since its development in 1996 and allegedly solved the crime in days. What actually happened is for the courts to decide and it is sure to generate national news coverage again because of the uniqueness of the occurrence in this plastic Central Florida community.

The murder has already generated national attention. Tourists, who normally would go directly to the theme parks, are stopping in Celebration to see what this picture-perfect town is all about. They don’t stay long. A few gift shops, some restaurants (a couple are very good), a retro 1940s soda fountain and movie house and that’s about it.

It’s hard to realize that people actually live in Celebration. There are families, moms and dads, kids and pets behind those cookie-cutter doors that until recently used to be kept open. Now sadly one of those fortunate people became a victim of violence, making Celebration as nervous as most other communities in America. Welcome to the real world, where we have lots to celebrate, if we’re very careful, keep our loved ones close and work hard, assuming, of course, we can find a job in 2011.

And, that’s that…