Fast paced world

We live in a fast-paced interconnected world very different from the world we grew up in. We reflect back on the days of our youth and realize that though much has changed, much remains the same. We spend more but we have less. We have bigger houses but smaller families. We have more conveniences but less time. More acquaintances but fewer friends; more knowledge but less judgement; more medicine but less wellness; smarter computers and phones but less communication. We learned how to make a living but not a life; plan more but accomplish less. We've learned to rush but not to wait. We've been to the moon but we have trouble crossing the street to meet our neighbors. We spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get angry too quickly, get up too tired, watch too much TV, feel too pressured and pray too little. Let us all look at our lives and do better.

Economy

As we begin this year the West Virginia economy continues to improve. The coal industry is increasing as coal prices and production get back to their former levels. Investment in the gas development areas especially in the Marcellus Shale continues to grow. All the ancillary businesses to the natural gas business are improving including gas pipelines, gas compressor stations and fractionating plants for the "wet" gas, water haulers and processors, the fracking companies, BOP and wellhead pressure control companies, bolting and hydrostatic testing companies, the cementing companies, wireline companies, pipe and well casing suppliers, drilling mud suppliers, site preparation and reclaim companies and trucking of all sorts. The associated businesses are growing including hotels, motels, restaurants and caterers, industrial parks, car and truck dealers, mechanics, employment agencies, building contractors, property owners and last but not least the government tax collectors. The bright spot here is employment. Whether you are a laborer or a welder, a truck driver or a roustabout on a drilling rig there are jobs and they pay well. Don't have the skills, then get some. Don't have the experience, then get some. Start at the bottom, build a career.