A Sense of Humor Helps
JACK
These past couple of weeks have been filled with confusion and angst. We have had to face many unpleasant situations, and have had to come to terms with reality. In my personal life I passed my 85th birthday. This did not come as a surprise, yet it came with mixed feelings. I threw a party, which was unlike any of my many birthdays. As part of this celebration I hired two stand-up comedians to entertain us, and it was a hilarious evening. The reason I did this was to remind my friends and family that it is important to have a big laugh, and this was the gift I wanted to share with them. I don't mean to trivialize life; I am saying that we must seek out and embrace the humor.
So many people have suffered without preparation for the rapid decent of the stock markets. Suddenly older people had much of their savings wiped out and younger people are faced with a bleak future. We all have had to ask ourselves "what does this all mean?" Very quickly, many of the worst instincts were brought to the front — greed, dishonesty, and contempt for fellow human beings. My question then is, "as a young person, how do you see what's happened and what have you learned?
HILLARY
I don't really know what I think yet. I don't think we've seen yet all of the ramifications of this economic turmoil. I do know that my perception has changed. I am beginning to recognize that there are dreams that quite likely will not be fulfilled all over this country. I hope that we come up with a new employment structure that will stimulate our economy, but I wonder if the government the best body to do that? I think that if this time has taught me anything it's that I must be more vigilant in my quest for information, and even more diligent when it comes to preparing for uncertainty.
JACK
Did it shake your confidence in the future?
HILLARY
You know I've always been concerned about the future. Do I think we're headed towards some type of Mad Max post-apocalyptic barter town? There are people out there that think that. I have no confidence the government's willingness to be forthcoming, and I have a total belief that they will try to use disinformation to achieve their goals. So, I don't think government is ultimately going protect us from a depression. My only hope is that a new industry comes in that can provide a lot of jobs, and that we end the wars that are costing our children their future, and cross our fingers.
JACK
Why just blame the government?
HILLARY
I'm not just blaming the government; I'm suggesting that the government rescue plan does not make me feel more confident about the future. I think there is a lot of blame to go around, not least of which is our personal credit consumption.
JACK
Ok, so your assessment is that there's more than enough blame to go around. This has to include corporate greed, and a population more than willing to accept huge loans (mortgages, credit cards, auto loans, etc.) that they cannot possible pay. There has to be a system of checks and balances that includes oversight to business, government, and the general population. For the past number of years we have lived in an economic world where there seemed to be no downside. Oddly enough, having lived through a depression and various recessions has prepared me for much of what has happened. Somewhere along the line business stopped doing what was right and simply asked if it was legal. Government cheerfully accepted huge gifts from lobbyists and representing special interest and the population was willing, in fact eager, to live in an Alice in Wonderland world. We must all realize that when we are not part of the solution we automatically become part of the problem. Like in Aesop's fables, there is a moral to story and that is we must all take responsibility for our own actions.
Fortunately, we are a great democracy, and every few years we have the opportunity to vote. And each vote has the same value. The present elected officials have allowed our country to sink into a deep problem. We must realize that whoever follows will need time, patience and harmony to extricate us. I certainly hope that we vote for the people who have real plans, and real solutions. We also must take the responsibility for our own actions. Spending beyond our capacity to pay is not a solution. But you have hit the nail on the head. We have great needs and therefore there are great opportunities in the fulfillment in of these needs. Entire industries can grow around our environment protection and infrastructure projects. There is hope. But it ain't going to be easy.
While we're finding the solutions let's find the humor in it, and find some joy in the process.
HILLARY
I guess the one thing that I've learned is that we're all in it together, so I'll look forward to those moments when we get to laugh.
Communication is inspiration! Share your thoughts below.
Leave a reply
