by Dee Dee
The U. S. economy has been spiraling downward for a while now. Economists say it will get worse before it gets better. I personally know several people who have been affected by this recession. Some have lost jobs; some have lost their homes. It’s really bad, but I know there is a bright side in all of this. I’m very thankful that I still have my job; however, the financial grim reaper has come to my company’s door, too. Wages have been frozen and furlough days (days off without pay) are right around the corner. Both seem to be a precursor to the inevitable –
layoffs.
The collapse of our economy doesn’t seem to favor any particular sector – everybody has been touched. Small businesses, big corporations, the auto industry, manufacturing, the food industry, healthcare, retail, fuel, and so many more areas are feeling the pain. Families are hurting too. Inflation has caused the price of just about everything to go up, yet our salaries remain the same. Mothers and fathers are barely able to make ends meet. It’s a struggle just to keep a roof over your head, food on the table, and clothes on your back. These are the necessities of life that people are struggling with – food, clothing and shelter – they are not luxuries.
Everywhere you go the economy seems to be the topic of conversation. It has definitely changed the way we live. We are rethinking the way we do things now. Taking our lunch to work is much more economical (and smarter) than spending ten dollars a day eating out. Renting a flick from one of those $1.00 machines and purchasing microwave popcorn is far better than dropping $30 or $40 at a movie theater. When gas surpassed the $4.00/gallon mark last year, I even started taking public transportation to work. The price of fuel has decreased from those record highs now, but it’s good to know that option is still available when the cost of gas rises again.
This financial crisis seems to have brought people closer together. I guess it’s the fact that we all have a common dilemma, although on different levels. And when that happens, there is a desire to help one another. But we have to help ourselves before we can help each other. We should try to save more and spend less, and eliminate unnecessary spending altogether. Glamour is out and thriftiness is definitely in. We have to make sacrifices for the sake of our future.
It would be wise to share what we have with others who are not as fortunate. We cannot look down upon our neighbors who’ve lost homes and jobs and depleted their savings because we could be the next ones in that same situation.
Just a few days ago a man in his mid-50’s came in to my office looking for work. He wore a dark suit, sported a beard, looked tired, and appeared to be desperate. He informed me that he was a former general sales manager just recently laid off. He said he would be willing to take any entry-level position we had. Unfortunately, he didn’t have an appointment and we didn’t have any job openings. I kept his resume and tried to give him some encouragement and a little bit of hope.
As he drove away, I thought to myself, that could be me. One day employed, the next day driving around trying to find work. I imagined him with a family to support, yet going home with no success in finding work. How discouraging that must be for him. He was a white man…and if he’s having a hard time, I know what it must be like for our black brothers. Yes, we have an African-American president, but our society is not going to change overnight. It’s still hard out there for a brother.
We’ve got to keep on pressing forward and not give up. Defeat should not be in our vocabularies. There is a bright side in all of this. We are all just “going through”, and anything you go through you must come out of on the other side. So, I’ll continue to try to help anyone I can by cooking a meal, giving a ride, donating money or just giving them words of encouragement. I hope you’ll do the same. Let’s keep it really real!
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