"The Right Stufff"

I have my share of worries about our nation's economy. At the same time, though, I can't help but think that a depression might actually be good for us. After all, wasn't the Great Depression one of the main contributors in producing the "greatest generation," as Tom Brokaw coined them? My grandfather is one of this generation; he grew up in the Great Depression and fought in World War II and is one of the greatest, most vibrant people I know. He'll be 87 this year and still does swan dives off of the diving board at the swimming pool. I love talking to him about everthing from politics to religion. He is very smart and level headed. He and others of this generation learned early the value of hard work, honesty, and thriftiness, among many things.

I'm not saying that my generation is lazy, but alot of us (myself not excluded) have had most things handed to us. Education, cars, or even houses have come relatively easy, and I'm really grateful for that. However, I think this recession will teach us all a thing or two about working hard, being thrifty, and being grateful for what we have. We may have to spend less money on movies and video games and spend more valuable time with friends and family. Hopefully we will come to a realization of the truthfulness of the old adage, "the best things in life are free."

I hope that our nation's economic situation does not get much worse. We are resilient and I know we will bounce back from whatever happens; but if things do get worse, I'm just trying to look on the bright side...

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