Life on the Bullet Train

My mother used to say that some days crawled but the years always flew. I'd laugh and reply that from my vantage point, everything was moving at the speed of sound. Wrong again.

Now that we approach the end of 2011 and with it the endless summations of the year's events and happenings, I realize that it all moves at the speed of light. Where did the year go?

Happily, it went into providing some outstanding programming for all of us. We got a glimpse of the view from the top, a look into tomorrow's economy and visions of what is and what could be. People who shape events told us what they think and answered our questions. They also showed that the worn phrase "Keep calm and carry on" is timeless. Who will ever forget the Town Hall event when a couple of hundred blackberries started to beep and the word went around (talk about "wildfire") that the market had just plummeted 1,000 points?

We're planning next year's programs. It's the 75th Anniversary of Town Hall Los Angeles (no small thing in this city) and although we'll save all the wonderful details for another time - we can promise you that the events will matter - to you, to us and to the future of our region. In the meantime, cheer, joy and keep calm and carry on. Jon Goodman