Friday, February 13, 2009

Obama




It’s so comforting to finally have a president for whom English isn’t a second language. Bright and articulate, at times a little more information that I wanted but at least we have someone I believe is leveling with us. This hole we’ve all gotten ourselves into with plenty of help from the bankers and mortgage makers not to mention the wall-street types who mortgages our future on risky bets. Now we’re having to pay a price and some of us are screaming NO like a two year old with his/her first word. The price were having to pay is just the down-payment on the financial disaster our country and the world is facing. Is it the right plan at the right time.., who knows. But past experiences is obviously not the way to go, it’s the way we got here in the first place.

A lot of what’s going on is posturing and trying to test a new president, playing a game of chicken with our fate. The outrage from Wallstreet is from a disbelief that there a no hard and fast plans that lay out the impossible task that is facing our country. We know that the old ways of doing business don’t work and the new way hasn’t been figured out or implemented yet. There is uncertainty in the future and that uncertainty drives Wallstreet mad. I think the president has the right approach for now, slow and cautious see what the results are and then make bolder moves as needed. This is an awful lot of money he’s betting on the future but I think it has all the earmarks of a better future for our kids who will inherit that future.

From everything I read and hear from both liberal and conservatives writers they seems to be in agreement. Make no mistakes, I don’t have a dog in this fight; I own no stocks and I haven’t got a house or business right now. I only have the hope that these things will help use to recover sooner or later. I’m stuck in the same boat as a lot of older Americans, I chose to be self-employed rather that work for a company; I’ll be fending for myself for a lot of years to come. Most of my peers are in the same shape as I am, they’ll be working till they die. Retirement is a long lost concept along with loyalty. Gone are the days we can retire to the country and live the good life. The reality is that most people can’t afford to retire and have to keep up an income so they can live. There’s no more making a place for the young to get a foothold on life, it’s every man/woman for themselves.

I keep looking at my young friends spending ever last dime that they make on upgrades to their lifestyles. And I want to warn them but what good would it do, I didn’t listen or care. I had plenty of time to figure that out later, well later is now and what am I going to do. I have a good history of finding work, I’ve never been unemployed for more than a few weeks or so. But now the paradigms have shifted, because of my stroke I’m left searching for something different to do with what’s left of my life. Something that will help other people so that is why I’ve started this blog. In the process of writing something will make itself know to me. My job’s it to figure out the what’s and the wherefor’s of the plan that will make my life whole again. Not easy task I know but I know my life was given back to me for a purpose and a reason. I was allowed for my life to continue to give back to others, to help them to understand their injuries or afflictions and to give them hope. I know that just as I sure of who I am.

2 comments:

Lin said...

I think the president has the right approach for now, slow and cautious

I'd hardly call a $2trn financial stability plan and a $838bn economic stimulus "slow and cautious!"

Sounds more like desperation and panic to me.

unbearable lightness said...

It's all sobering, Michael. Although it may not have directly affected the two of us at this point, the collapse of an economy would take all of us to hell and back. Scientists predict conditions similar to those of the Middle Ages if we don't come up with alternative energy options before 2030. Well, maybe you and I won't get to that date, but I sure love this country and this world, and I hope things straighten out in a hurry.

And, yes, Lin, Obama is in a hurry! As he should be. It's all about 8 years too late.