The other day, a friend asked "Are you going to close the magazine because of the economy?" I was astonished, but not surprised. While our business has grown this past year (sales were up by 150% the first quarter and our distribution increased to 340 retail locations), panic and a negative outlook seem to be basic instinct right now. Everyone – the media, our politicians, bankers, philosophers, and educators – seems hell bent on predicting the world is going to end or at least it isn't going to be a whole lot of fun for the next twenty years. I even heard a commercial the other day that advertised a 1-900 number to call when you see the star that signifies Jesus and Buddha have returned. Now, I was unaware Buddha was coming back with Jesus (sounds like a party!), but I was really tempted to call that 1-900 number to see what I was supposed to do when indeed the trumpets blow. But I was sure they would charge me 75 cents a minute for the information.

These are turbulent times at best. A recession brought on by greed and mismanagement. A bailout that may only further line the pockets of the very thieves and crooks who created the mess. And the payback on the bailout? Left to our children's children's children. It's hard not to be depressed.

But this is also an incredible period in all of our lives, not only seek to change but to demand it. I like to take the "wonder if" approach. I wonder what would happen if we demanded that our leaders be held accountable for their actions. Not just have sham "hearings" to listen to more lies and excuses. But really hold them accountable. I wonder what would happen if we fired them when they misspent our tax dollars. No waiting for a reelection – just plain old "you're fired." I wonder what would happen if we didn't bail out companies that can't manage themselves and turned them over to innovative entrepreneurs who are running profitable businesses. I wonder what would happen if we would insist, demand, and stand for nothing less than international policies and laws that provide food, shelter, and clean water for the world from all of the world. I wonder what would happen if there was never, ever, another foster child in this country. I wonder what would happen if we put a couple billion dollars out there in the hope that all children have a home, are loved, cared for, and encouraged to thrive and dream big. After all they are the leaders of tomorrow. I know I sound naïve, and some people will say I am crazy and simpleminded. They also said I could never launch a magazine in today's economy in Erie and be successful! But my readers and advertisers proved them wrong. So call me an optimist. Call me crazy. But I believe in the power of positive thought, and I believe we have the power to change the world for the better.

In this issue of Erie Life we give you a whole lot of ways to think positively. You will read about how implementing green technology can not only create millions of jobs but can change the infrastructure, from shelter to transportation, of how we live. We visit homeowners who built their house green to make their shelter not only ecofriendly but more efficient. My favorite article this month is about a woman I had never heard of but who is now one of my most admired characters, Charlotte Battles. Battles was the first woman in the country to own and operate a bank. Not only was she the first woman to own a bank – she owned one of the only banks in the country that did not shut down for the famous Bank Holiday during the Great Depression. Battles did not allow the panic and hysteria of 1933 to disrupt her business, and her bank never lost a dime of her customers' money. I like her style and her thinking. I hope you enjoy this issue and it inspires you to wonder if...

Réna Tran
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
Erie Life Magazine