As years go, 2020 is not one that generates a lot of gratitude in my mind. Global pandemic, racial struggles, millions without jobs, local merchants closing up, a surreal election here in the US, and that is just what comes to mind in the time it takes me to write this.
And yet, I am hopeful and thankful as I sit here thinking about this Thanksgiving that is upon us. I see the light at the end of the tunnel with the pandemic some time next year, I see new leadership in the US that is long on empathy and short on drama, I see proof that science continues to be up to the challenge of solving huge problems for humanity, and I see a resilience in the human spirit on the streets of NYC.
We are going to need everything we can get from science and the human spirit because we are facing enormous challenges that will not end with the pandemic. Racial inequity, climate change, ongoing job losses (and gains) being driven by technological change, massive budget deficits in local governments. The list goes on and on.
I am an optimist in a business that requires it. I think we can and will rise to meet these challenges and I am thankful that I can play a small role in doing that.
