UFCW 8 - The Year of the Climb

UFCW Local 8 - Year of the Climb -- Year after year we have been talking about our Union defying gravity. What does it mean to truly defy gravity? It means you ignore the forces that would hold you down, it means despite all evidence that you should not be going up, you continue to climb, to ascend. That is what we have done, that is what we will continue to do.

We set out with a list of pretty lofty goals and we have achieved virtually all o f them, at this point we should have no doubt in our ability to achieve whatever we put our minds to. Our membership has grown, our resources have grown, our staff has grown. Most of our major contracts were ratified by 90% or more. While so many other labor unions, businesses and even world economies suffered monumental and catastrophic set backs in 2008 we continued our ascent. We defy gravity.

The world witnessed two extraordinary climbs in 2008. The climb of Michael Phelps to the eighth Olympic platform, making him the greatest Olympian of all time. He certainly denied the forces that would have held him down. And we all watched and were inspired and many of us assisted in the greatest climb in modern history. The ascent of Barack Obama. The junior senator, the son of an African immigrant, who climbed to the highest office in the land, the Presidency of the United States.

regardless of your politics, your race or your economic disposition, it was impossible to watch what he did and not be moved. He ignored the forces that would have kept him from reaching his goal and he did it all with the mantra "Yes We Can!" Always ignore or deny those forces that will tell you it can't be done.

We continue to have the responsibility of making our Union climb and to help our country climb to new heights, but lets remember to be fullfilled, to be complete we must pursue our own personal climbs. It may be a physical climb, a spiritual climb or an emotional climb. But as we reach new personal individual heights we bring others with us. Climbing is contagious. We are only on this earth one time. You don't get a second chance to live, so look deep inside yourself, think about the climb you need to make. Because the time to do it is now.

Whether your climb is to simply put down the remote and get off the couch, grow stronger bonds with the one you love, become a better parent or master a craft. You may swim across a river or run a marathon, start a garden, learn to play a musical instrument, paint or sculpt. Your climb may be to feed the hungry, strengthen your faith, tackle your inner demons, or scale a mountain to stand in the summit and drink in the glory of being alive. It is natural for us to challenge ourselves, the human spirit is meant to be tested. We are destined to reach higher and the higher we reach the more we can help others. So set a goal, experience more, discover yourself and inspire others. Just climb.

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