Blog World

You might be visiting my blog for the first time today, due to an article in the Nation's City Weekly. If you are a first time visitor, I hope you enjoy your visit. This has been a fun experience and one that I hope provides some insight on the National League of Cities and the Inclusive Communities Program. I have always felt that technology should be something that helps in a positive way and blogs certainly have that potential. I never have been able to keep a journal and blogging gives you a simple and easy way of doing it.

One thing about traveling is that it does seem to run together at times. You find yourself forgetting about a special experience or some special people that you have met. I also keep a scrapbook of things that I have picked up from throughout my travels. Not a "crafty" type of scrapbook, but one that is a place to paste the many articles and notes that I have received from everyone across the country. I currently have six big books that are filled with airline tickets, programs, articles, pictures and about anything else that can lay flat on a piece of paper. Hopefully I will look back one day on the many people, places and things that I have had the opportunity to see this year.

One thing that is difficult to convey in the blog or the scrapbooks is the incredible experience that this has been. Each day I wake up and marvel at the prospect of another day leading our organization. It is challenging and I know that it will impact the rest of my life. I have received so many exciting opportunities and I look forward to next year as the Inclusive Communities Program really starts to have an impact in our country.

The recent release of the demographic information on diversity in America is something that can be our fortune or our peril. I saw a report on a new book by Newt Gringrich and it outlines what he feels is the "invasion" of America and a very grim outlook. I do believe that we live in challenging times, but I believe that we have a unique opportunity to grow into the type of country that can be a model for the world. With the growth of technology and the "flat" world that it brings about, we are living in a more diverse world than ever. Imagine, our forefathers lived their entire lives and were never exposed to what our grade school children see every day on the internet.

Yes, these are exciting times. I look forward to continuing this blog and providing a glimse at what it is like to be leading the National League of Cities. Stick around!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!