For most of 2008, we saw the global economy going downhill. The bad news, according to economists, is that next year we’ll see when it will hit rock bottom and how deep. But the good news is that 2009 is a brand new year and here we have a chance to begin again and hopefully make it right this time.Despite the grim prospects, Filipinos are still keen on getting into business, judging from TV segments that give tips to aspiring entrepreneurs. However, with the economic slowdown, which has seen giants in banking, insurance, automobile, retail, newspapers and, yes, even governments going bankrupt, it would be good to stick with what is important. Boutiques that specialize in luxury or superfluous goods will be in for tough times. Year 2009 will force us to go back to basic values and that’s reason enough to toast the coming New Year. * * * “There are three rules for running a business; fortunately we don’t know any of them.” This quote is attributed to the late actor Paul Newman, one of Hollywood’s iconic stars, who is known not only for his drop-dead good looks but also for his wry humor. Newman, whose acting career spanned three decades, liked to poke fun at himself perhaps because it took critics sometime to recognize his acting talent. On screen, he essayed antihero roles that gave an edgy character to his eerily youthful and handsome features. Off-screen, he raced cars with a passion and gave generously to worthy causes. The late actor put up a business of making salad dressing in 1982 and since then he used the profits of Newman’s Own to help children afflicted with serious diseases. The firm’s roaring success was a cause for Newman to deliver one of his wry one-liners: “We don’t take ourselves very seriously as businesspeople, but considering this was something that started off as a joke in 1982, we have had a lot of fun.” Whenever his selfless causes are brought up, he would readily admit that indeed, his movies earned less compared to the sales of his salad dressing products that bear his name and pictures. “If you don’t take yourself seriously, you’ve got a chance. It’s when you take yourself seriously and you begin to believe all this B.S. that you can really flounder,” he said in his memoirs. When the curtain lowered on Newman in September 16, 2008, fans celebrated his public and private life. The acting talent was a given, but it was his humility, constancy (50 years of marriage to Joanne Woodward) and passion for helping others that made the flipside of the sex-symbol image truly amazing. That he slugged it out with a great sense of humor makes his story worth retelling. * * * Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia recently lost her cool over two items. Incensed over a worker’s gripe why she decided to give a cash gift of P14,000 per worker instead of P15,000, Guv slashed the giveaways by P2,000. The second irritant was reportedly caused by a colleague’s column article where she wrote about Garcia’s statements at the paper’s Christmas party. I can’t blame the governor for being upset. Work itself is stressful and with the holiday rush, thoughtless remarks can be very trying, or “makalaglag poise,” as Tagalogs are wont to say. However, there’s a perception that Governor Garcia is one who doesn’t take negative comments lightly. If this is a tendency to take herself seriously, she should check herself, or all the work that she’s doing at the Capitol might go down the drain. It’s not bad to let off steam, but there is also a positive way of dealing with it. My friend Bobby Nalzaro wrote that she could have let the Capitol worker’s comment go out her other ear, as all way puangod comments deserve to be. As for Michelle So’s observations, I guess the governor was offended because my colleague seemed not to appreciate the kind words for the paper. Maybe Guv needs to know that Michelle is kinda goofy. Whatever it is, rather than take offense on negative remarks, public officials should do well to consider them not just as part of the territory but also as an exercise in humility. | 
