Tis the Season

The older I get the shorter the days seem between Thanksgiving and the New Year. With the wisdom I gather (I hope!) with the years, however, I am learning that it is fitting to connect giving thanks with sharing gifts - generosity flowing from gratitude.

Abraham Lincoln proclaimed Thanksgiving Day a national holiday in the midst of a bloody civil war. The cutting-edge tool of his time, photography, has bequeathed us with portraits of a face etched with sadness. Lincoln was certainly not oblivious to the pain and horrors of battlefields.

Yet he and his country had many reasons to give thanks, and the tradition is truly vintage yet timelessly American. We gather in thanksgiving, counting not only what we have, but what we have to give. We measure our progress and weigh our options, trying for the perfect balance toward which most of our New Year’s resolutions aim.

We’re taking a close look at DRPs in this last issue of 2001, and we’ll be watching other trends in collision repair in our traditional January overview feature. Look back, look forward, look around together.

Our Collision Repair Industry, with participants gathering together during this busy holiday season for NACE2001, is taking some time to give thanks, with the NABC PRIDE Awards recognizing industry members who recognize needs and do something in their communities to help.

The industry is receiving thanks, too, notably for the generosity to Camp Mak-A-Dream.

Because I am privy to some of the behind-the-scenes planning and discussion of several CIC (Collision Industry Conference) committees, I know that all of us should be grateful for the dedication of these groups. Many of the most knowledgeable and forward-looking people in our industry (and the busiest) have gladly pooled their time and talents throughout 2001, to deal with current issues and to envision a 2002 in which all segments of the industry can move forward.