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Todd Harrison
Dec. 1, 2010, 12:01 a.m. EST
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By Todd Harrison
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) "” The holiday season has arrived and with it our annual self-reflection has begun.
For many, 2010 will be measured by a bottom line that dictates whether we've invested wisely. Wall Street, for all its vices and virtues, is a place where self-worth is measured by net worth at the end of a calendar year.
Win, lose, or draw, we know where we stand. Make money and it was time well spent; lose money and it was a lesson in the making.
We've chewed through the financial brew all year.
There was the Flash Crash. Read Minyanville's "The 1000-Point Plunge."
We witnessed the specter of European Disunion. Read Minyanville's "A Five-Step Guide to Contagion."
We swallowed trillion dollar emergency bailouts. Read Minyanville's "Will the EU Emergency Fund Work?"
And we've endured a marked shift in social mood. Read Minyanville's "The Short Sale of American Icons."
Yes, as we've traversed the latest year of the world's wildest reality show, there's been much to discuss and plenty to debate. The Chinese have a saying, "May you live in interesting times." And so it is, we're now importing proverbs from the Far East.
This column isn't about the next 5%, secular headwinds or geopolitical interpretation. I've spent countless hours writing about those topics and will continue to do so as we edge ahead.
No, this missive is about a different kind of profitability, one that's not measured by the size of a house or the speed of a car. It's about the important stuff; giving back and staying true to the person you are.
It's a tale of honor, respect, and tribute.
My dad left our family when I was 3 years old, and my grandfather assumed his role. As great as my mother was, devoting her life to her children, a young boy needs a man in his life to set the tone and set him straight. Read "Full Circle."
Ruby was that guiding hand throughout my childhood.
Billionaire Richard Branson is out with a new magazine app for the iPad.
As I grew older, I would learn that everything happens for a reason. Divorce is a difficult dynamic but it facilitated a bond that wouldn't otherwise exist. My grandfather's love was steadfast and empowering as we became best friends; he taught me how to be a man.
When I graduated college in 1991, I began a job at Morgan Stanley but lacked the means to afford an apartment. Further, the confidence that defined my Syracuse University experience suddenly morphed into an exposed vulnerability as I attempted to learn a craft.
I needed a beacon in the night and a magnet for my moral compass. Lucky for me, I didn't have to look far.
I lived in the den of my grandparents' home as I found my way. I was overwhelmed with trying to understand the ropes of a new livelihood but could always count on one thing. Every time I turned around, whenever I needed assurance, Ruby was there with a knowing glance and steady hand.
"?Inspiration, move me brightly. Light the song with sense and color, hold away despair.'
Grateful Dead
Years later, my grandmother Dorothy told me that my grandfather sat in my room while I was at work and stared at my shoes. "He loved you so much," she said with a smile, "he just wanted to be closer to you."
This I knew, for as much as I write and as hard as I try, I've yet to find words to describe the love and loyalty I carry to this day. I was too naive to understand the golden door that opened when I started on Wall Street "” or the cost it would exact through the years "” but what I lacked in wisdom was supplanted by guidance.
China is looking like the next frontier for the coffee chain, writes Angela Moore.
2:09 p.m. Today2:09 p.m. Dec. 1, 2010
"Fed Beige Book says service sector drives improving economy http://on.mktw.net/eBX4SN" 2:20 p.m. EST, Dec. 1, 2010 from MarketWatch
"Retweet If you have voted in our CEO of the Year poll. http://bit.ly/41UIrr" 2:09 p.m. EST, Dec. 1, 2010 from MarketWatch
"#Fed reveals credit-crunch aid for #banks, money funds http://bit.ly/fLbnGl" 1:27 p.m. EST, Dec. 1, 2010 from MarketWatch
"Private-sector #employment up 93,000: ADP http://bit.ly/gkH0L4" 12:57 p.m. EST, Dec. 1, 2010 from MarketWatch
"It's a good one! RT @MichaelKitces: Video up for my @MarketWatch interview on tax planning! Thanks @rjpiii! http://bit.ly/e4i6Op" 12:25 p.m. EST, Dec. 1, 2010 from MarketWatch
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