New Orleans

Tuesday to New Orleans for a 5-day conference. Key session speakers included Newt Gingerich, Michael Bloomberg, Lee Hamilton, and PA Gov. Rendell. USA's role and place in the world. Globalization. Rebuilding Infrastrucute.

A moderated session with Newt and Lee addressed the USA's role and place in the world yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Some frightening scenarios were discussed, not dissimilar to those played out in the book The World is Flat (T. Friedman). These former leaders examined the real effects of falling behind China, India, and other countries if we fail to retool traditional education, fail to reestablish economic stability, and fail to prevent further breaches of national security.

The second session with the NYC Mayor and PA governor addressed the need to repair the crumbling infrastructure of the country. All this was part of the excitement of five days of multi-track committee meetings of very bright lawmakers, subject matter experts, and policy leaders who debated problems, heard results of studies, and considered possible remedies. The output are resolutions or proposed policy statements. In a perfect world all this work would result in perfect solutions to the country's ills.

The conference is a methaphor for our life as we seek remedies for the addiction that weakensn our family infrastructure. Conferees heard about crumbling infrastructure, weak economy, and risks of a weak military and they were challenged to develop plans for the US' recovery. Our situation, not quite global, has taken us outside Indiana to Illinois and Tennessee for in-patient programs which we hope will restructure Sarah's life and lead to recovery.

Yesterday, in fact for years, we have intervened to change the frightening scenarios of Sarah's life. We sought expert advice, evaluated options, and took action. Sarah cooperated although her judgment remained clouded by disease. Today she is beginning to repair her personal infrastructure. Treatment is a first step to healing and she wants choice in what happens next. We want her to make rational decisions, be committed to them, and to choose to live a healthy life. Tomorrow we will work to help her implement her recovery plan to defeat the disease and overcome the minute by minute challenge to stay clean.

Today BF can help Sarah break her addictions, too, by disappearing from her life. If Sarah is similarly committed to recovery, she will end bf in her life. That's a big step, one she must commit to, or face a nearly impossible recovery.

Maybe tomorrow!

Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.