Snow & the Stock Market

Yesterday was absolutely miserable. It snowed big, wet, yucky flakes on and off all day. It didn't stay on the ground and the wind was howling, blowing most of the leaves that were left on trees down. Very depressing and a glimpse of what is to come - November. There is nothing good about November except that my sister was born on the 2nd, but other than that there is nothing. No holidays to speak of, not even Remembrance Day, that is now reserved only for the banks and government types. The kids learn "In Flanders Field the Poppies Grow" and we all wear poppies on our lapels but that is about the only bright spot in a long and dreary month.

But, on the bright side, today is clear, cold and sunny. My favourite kind of day and now that I have stoppped listening to the news about the economy I can get out of bed each morning without too much trouble. I really think this is all such a self-fulling prophecy. Yes, I know times are tough and it is a mess down in the States and it has been a bit of a wake up call for everyone to realize that it is not their right to own a $4000 handbag or live in a $1,000,000 house. We have all done it, gone shopping and bought something totally out of our snack bracket but this time it has all caught up with us. We all have to be more realistic. It is scary to think that we will be the first generation not to have a higher standard of living than our parents. Mine set the bar pretty high and I love them for all the oppportunities it gave me and my brother and sister. But I am not convinced that going to private school, travelling to Europe in the summer and getting a car for graduation made me into a better person than I would have otherwise been.

I am so glad to have moved out of the city and away from a world where everyone was a banker or a lawyer and all they could talk about was private schools and real estate. I bet those conversations have died down now that houses aren't selling for $100,000 over asking and those school fees still have to be paid.

Oops, how did I get onto this rant? I started out saying that it was all a self-fufilling prophecy. Meaning the media got ahold of it and we all began to get scared and now it's all you hear about. The stock market tanks, no it's back up. It's rallying. No it's back in the toilet. Who controls this roller coaster? People who make money from producing absolutely nothing real. And the people who are out there making something that is worth buying are getting hurt. Small businesses can't get money from the banks to operate, to create jobs and to provide for their families. Big businesses lay off workers from the top to the bottom and everyone in the places where those people live are getting hurt. But there are still those who are making money off of all of this. It is crazy and I am sort of relieved that the constant drive to out Jones the Jones may finally be over.

We moved to have a different kind of life, away from the rat race and so far it is working. My husband is around more, we can get out and do things that don't require long drives, paying for parking and the kids are happy. They have a freedom and independance that we never could have allowed in the city.

Maybe more people will come to realize that there is more to life than renovating and buying more stuff. I just hope they don't all move to our town.