What Matters Is Changing With The Economy

Most of you know I blog on occasion just for myself, but sometimes I like to share. I know that some don't like it, but a few do. So I share when I feel like some of you may enjoy it.

What Matters Is Changing With The Economy

As I drive through my town, I take notice that the leaves are changing. As the sun warms my hands on the steering wheel, thoughts go through my mind that the times are changing as well.

I am passing home after home with signs posted out front reading FORECLOSURE, and empty factories looming like mini ghost towns. There appears to be more used Toyota Carollas cruising by, than the usual Escalades. And the mall has closed so many stores, it should be illegal to even call it a mall.

I grew up here, went to school here, married here, and still reside here.

I have seen booming times, inbetween times, tight times, and I see the current times. My 35 years have mostly always been feast or famine. It’s what I know. It has shaped me into who I am today.

My parents are working class still today.

I moved out of my parent’s house at around 17 where we pretty much lived hand to mouth. I lived alone for almost 3 years also hand to mouth.

Do you see a theme here?

I got married at 20 and had my first child 9 months later…

We started out hand to mouth almost 15 years ago. We got a little better than hand to mouth a few years back, but like everyone else the recession has hit us like a brick wall.

I am getting to a point. I promise. Stick with me here…

Being a stay at home mom with NO savings, we have to deal with what so many other Americans are currently dealing with.

WE decided that we would be ok. It is up to us to be ok. 15 years of up and down proves that it can be done.

My point?

I am really thankful to come from a working class/struggling family. We were raised with less, so we learned to appreciate the small things. We knew what was really important when the chips were down. We learned that you could do a hell of a lot more than you thought possible when your power was shut off a few days before payday. It didn’t kill us to sleep with extra blankets for a few nights because the gas ran out. It did almost kill us to eat pinto beans for a week until we could afford more… But for entirely different reasons.

We learned that there were other things besides cable tv, fast food, and fancy cars.

As the economy affects more people, what matters to those people also has to change. If not, it will be a hell of a lot harder to make it through.

I get mighty damn tired of struggling. Don’t get me wrong. 35 years is enough. BUT… I am ok if this is the deal. I will have my family, my children, and my house.The rest is gravy. Really good gravy for sure, but still just gravy.

I don’t plan on winning a ticket for a free ride. I don't want handouts. Why? Because nobody owes me or my family a damn thing.

We will be occupying putting our noses to the grindstone, so we don’t have to occupy the food stamp line though.

We will get through this just like we have many other times before. In these times people, both rich and poor should take a few minutes to evaluate what is really important.

It is FAMILY…

Not sitting in front of the idiot box for 6 hours a night. Not texting each other from one room away. But actually TALKING. Maybe even *gasp* talking around the dinner table.

Even if you are only serving Ramen noodles and off brand Ritz crackers for dinner. TALK.

Lift each other up, laugh about stupid memories, and just be together. And right when you are ready to strangle each other, you will know that it’s bedtime.

See? It even saves on batteries for that clock on your kitchen wall. Win /Win!

The best part of the above?

It’s FREE and something that CAN NOT be taken away unless you allow it.

Friends are also important. Talking about stressful money issues are only embarrassing if you let it be. Odds are some of your friends are in a tight spot as well and you don’t even know it. Pick up the tab for a cheap lunch when you can, let the friend catch you the next time they have it.

Having a good friend to commiserate with (and to bring you that $1.00 burger when you crave it, but can’t afford it) is pretty awesome.

Not having to go to coinstar to cash in those pennies for said burger is even more awesome. Just Saying…

Tell your children (age appropriate) what is going on. They need to know that the money tree out back was viciously cut down by Al Gore because he secretly hates living “green”. Only teasing... I had to do it!

At some point they need to understand that life isn’t fair and there is no such thing as a free lunch. They will come to understand that your love doesn't = the newest video game console coming out at Christmas. They will see that it is more valuable than that.

Money doesn’t equal love or happiness YOU control that. It is only affected by your economic situation if you let it be. Money problems can destroy a family. Don’t be that stupid and let it.

Give up your phones, your cable, your internet, and hell… even your car if need be. But don’t give up on each other. If you are broke, why be broke and alone?

Unless of course your spouse was the devil’s spawn to begin with. Then by
all means use this as your ticket out of your self induced hell. Atleast there won’t be a huge settlement since you
are broke. Again win/win.

See how I use the “Every Cloud Has A Silver Lining” analogy here?

Anyway, for better or worse was not a fortune popped out of a cookie. You may lose it all. Let the chips fall where they may, just remember that it is easier to watch them fall while you are surrounded by your family. They have your back come hell or high water.

Appreciate the simple things and we can ride this turbulent wave out til the end!

I agree that it's nice a lot of the time to live a simpler life with less material things than the masses seem to perpetually be chasing. I enjoy having time for my family and friends, for ex. I like working hard, don't get me wrong. But the working years of many seem to reflect a forever uphill/losing battle, all for the much larger benefit of the people you are working for (the bosses, his bosses, etc.).

Another frustrating thing about living a modest/fiscally responsible life is when you hear about the kind of money that companies literally burn, like when they put insane amounts of money into golden parachutes for rotating door CEO/"face person"-type positions, or when you realize what they're doing to the environment over time. And then you hear about the money burned in political spaces (corporate-owned at this point, so it's all the same evil I suppose) -- I feel like it undoes any modest/responsible lifestyle choices we make as individuals by a huge factor/continues what's a fast downward spiral.

No revelations in my reply, I'm just trying to kill this horse by continuing to beat it.

Originally posted by Matriculated
I agree that it's nice a lot of the time to live a simpler life with less material things than the masses seem to perpetually be chasing. I enjoy having time for my family and friends, for ex. I like working hard, don't get me wrong. But the working years of many seem to reflect a forever uphill/losing battle, all for the much larger benefit of the people you are working for (the bosses, his bosses, etc.).

Another frustrating thing about living a modest/fiscally responsible life is when you hear about the kind of money that companies literally burn, like when they put insane amounts of money into golden parachutes for rotating door CEO/"face person"-type positions, or when you realize what they're doing to the environment over time. And then you hear about the money burned in political spaces (corporate-owned at this point, so it's all the same evil I suppose) -- I feel like it undoes any modest/responsible lifestyle choices we make as individuals by a huge factor/continues what's a fast downward spiral.

No revelations in my reply, I'm just trying to kill this horse by continuing to beat it.

edit on 20-6-2012 by Matriculated because: (no reason given)

I know exactly what you mean!!

Sometimes all we can do is beat a dead horse when something continues to make no sense. You just keep trying to figure it out and can't.

Excellent points for sure... dead horse or not!