Hardship = opportunity

Welcome to 2009. Time for a new president, the reality of predatory loaning and credit defaulting- ouch, a war that may, or may not get resolved by this time next year, mass layoffs, and general belt-tightening.

This is far from good news, but it has given me pause to consider all of the implications.

For a while I considered posting a rant about how it's stupid people who insist on living beyond their means and buying houses that they can't afford while literally walking away from their current homes that got us into this mess. I would also pontificate by saying that anyone with a brain in their head would also read Panic! the Story of Modern Financial Insanity by Michael Lewis if they knew what was good for them.

But then I took a step back and did some more research instead of just being all self-righteous.

"If you don't like it Stewie, you can do what everybody else does and go on the Internet and complain." -Brian, Family Guy

And I realized that there is a lot of blame, but it can be spread out a lot of places. I also saw the reviews of Mr. Lewis's book on amazon.com and they weren't all that great. So, save your money.

Instead, please seek out the absolutely fantastic article, "Um, What Just Happened?" by Richard Medley, Esquire December 2008. I seriously cannot tell you how incredibly illuminating Mr. Medley's article was on breaking down how we (America and the world) got into this giant financial pickle and the potential ways of digging ourselves out. It's entitled, "The End of America’s Capitalist Fantasy and the Shape of Banks to Come" on Esquire's Web site.

http://www.esquire.com/features/green/features-why-is-our-economy-in-a-recession-1208?click=main_sr

I pretend to have a good grasp on international financial matters. When it comes up in conversation, I can roughly translate the exchange rate between the British pound, the euro, and the American dollar. And I would nod my head at all the right places when my friend brought up the Nikkei index in relation to her stocks' performance.

But like the war in Iraq, our current economic state has a lot of controversy surrounding it, though on an admittedly smaller scale, but equally plagued with tons of opinions masquerading as fact and jargon that I just don't want to wrap my brain around. So, do yourself a favor and read Mr. Medley's article. (I am also going to see how many times I can insert the words "Mr. Medley" into this blog before someone notices.)

In the meantime, also consider the good, yes good! that can, has come, will come out of this sorry state we find ourselves in.

As I was pondering this topic I realized that this "situation" makes us take stock and really look around and consider what are we doing- with ourselves? our lives? our priorities!?

Yes, we may not get a glut of new shopping malls, bistros, and boutiques anytime in the near future. Heck, Starbucks might not even gain back their market shares for at least several years. But in the end, do we really need such things? Yes, they are great for urban revival yet they also foster our desire for stuff, of which we all have more than plenty. And this is coming from someone who has a business plan for an art gallery wedged in her file box and actively seeks out the "artsy" section of any town she's visiting so she can load up on sun-dried tomato pasta and handcrafted hot ciders.

But we are stepping back and evaluating actual relationships and what really matters in life. With mass layoffs happening at frightening speeds, it makes us stop to look around and say, "Hey, I see you as a person and you know what? I value you as a person too." even as the rafters fall around our ears. We have an opportunity to reach out and help some one. Maybe we really can continue that "Christmas feeling" throughout the whole year, though in ways we may not have considered a few holiday seasons ago.

Several of my favorite magazines, including GQ and Esquire, purveyors of the finer things in life are also stepping back and offering thoughtful articles instead of how to find the best tailor in London, the latest fine dining trend, the newest hot but "brain-y" female celebrity, etc., Recent articles have included the tongue-in-cheek "Things We're Excited About" by Tom Chiarella, Esquire, February 2009, What I've Learned the (stock market) Bull, Esquire January 2009, 50 Reasons to Have (Actual) (Legitimate) (Genuine) Hope, GQ February 2009, "Congratulations, You Have Not Been Fired!" by Joshua Ferris, GQ, February 2009, and the quietly devastating "What Happened to the Neighbors?" by Charles Bowden, GQ, January 2009.

In the end, we all look around with sheepish smiles as we put back that shiny bauble at Target and consider, is this what it's all about?