NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Another year, another Benefits Selling Expo'sin the books.

And I gotta say, the mood seemed to be decidedly more upbeatthis year. Maybe it was the local music scene, the newly renovatedfacility or your particularly cheerful host, but I'm thinkingprobably not.  And it's not because the courts suddenlydecided to accelerate their glacial judicial pace and save thetaxpayers a lot of time and money by deciding to rule on healthreform, thereby at least letting us know now what we face over thenext few years.

And I'm pretty sure it's not because the economy's pulled acomplete turnaround, complete with eager employers hiring like anearly 1990s dot-com, and offering employee benefits to match. No,I'm not only leaving Nashville with a three-day hangover, a fewwrinkled suits and more business cards than a college cafeteria,but with a newfound confidence in the broker community.

I'm encouraged most of you managed to shake the yolk of cloyingpessimism that seemed to hang in the air during last year's show.(Course, I'm also assuming those of you who didn't aren't aroundanymore.)

Maybe we've all accepted that either this, too, will pass or wewill simply overcome. We've faced similar “game-changing” obstaclesin the past — to use the overplayed buzz phrase — and we're stillaround. We've overcome the shock of last year's Congressionaloverreach and we've realized our world has certainly changed, butit hasn't ended.

It's also worth pointing out that the carriers seem to be morein tune than ever, too. I could be wrong, hearing only a certainside of the story, but it certainly seems like the carriers are notonly equally upbeat, but more concerned than ever about the fate ofbrokers, which is encouraging to say the least.

Oscar Wilde, never much of an optimist himself, once argued,“The reason we all like to think so well of others is that we areall afraid for ourselves. The basis of optimism is sheer terror.” And while Oscar's always been one of my favorites, Icouldn't disagree more.

I didn't sense any terror this year. In fact, a lot of the angerseems to have subsided as well. It's time we got back to business —and maybe to basics, too. Otherwise, maybe it's time you just getout of the business.

Denis Storey Editor [email protected]