Mission and Vision

Bail Out Blues

John Bradley "JJ" Jackson

09 Dec 2008 • 1 min read

The bad news is everywhere. The stock market leaps up and down bouncing along a never ending trough. Layoffs are forecast. The big three auto makers need billions to get through the next quarter. CNN trumpets the word depression seemingly for its shock value. After a while you cannot help but believe we are on a sinking ship in a perfect storm.

But, let’s keep things in perspective. You only need one job (or, least that applies to most of us). Our IRAs and 401Ks won’t be needed until years down the road--- so the losses will be replaced with gains in the long run. The losses are on paper only.

Prices for consumer goods are cascading down---that flat panel HD TV can now be added to the family room. Gasoline just fell below $2.00 a gallon and may fall much lower. Housing is now affordable for many who were locked out. Interest rates are at the lowest level in decades. In USA we are blessed with abundant food, medical help, and educational resources.

My advice is simple. Turn off CNN. Stay off the internet news sites. Watch Seinfeld reruns instead. Read the funny pages and skip the headlines. Cherish your friends and family. Read a good book. There is no sense in letting this creeping malaise get the best of us. Don’t let it beat you.

I have yet to see a barrier so big that I could not walk around it and continue the journey.