Monday, March 9, 2009

The Truth is Scary

I'm starting to avoid watching the news. It's just too depressing. We all know how messed up everything is out there. Job losses, home losses, folks with no health care and no place to live...people willing to work but there are no jobs.

My family and I are doing okay for now but it's hard to relax and it's hard not to worry when you see what's happening to other folks. At least once a week I hear of a murder/suicide where money troubles is mentioned as a possible motive. To lose your life or take another is senseless yet I understand the immense pressure one can feel when you are about to lose everything. The worry, the fear, the sleepless nights and the desperation. And what happens when you have done everything right and you still can't find your way out of the situation?

I reached a point one time. My husband had been unemployed for over 10 months and we were almost through our savings. I was working but my client had not paid me and her company shut down owing me over $20,000. I was wrecked with worry and trying to find other work and find a way to keep what we had. After a while I was just too exhausted to fight. I came to a point where I was okay if we had to sell our home and move to an apartment and completely downsize our life. At least I had that option.

What if you don't have that option? You can't sell your home in this market and if you do it will sit on the market for a long time and you might even get less than you owe. I was watching on TV on how many Americans are becoming homeless. Big families with no home, no savings, no jobs and no place to go. Some are on the streets and sleeping in shelters. Others have set up tent cities. It's so scary and it's going to get worse before it gets better.

It's a big mess that our new president inherited. I wish there was some way for those in charge who got us here to pay for their mistakes. The corrupt are to blame...the big banks, the politicians...the greedy. And a big serving of karma is coming. I'm not saying that we Americans have done the best job with saving and living within our means but many people got rich on the now suffering of others.

I do have faith and I do believe that our country can recover. So many things must change but in the mean time we have to do better for those who need it the most. They need a bailout not some rich corporate thug.

8 comments:

Dorrie said...

it's not just in America, over here in Europe we are having similar problems, only that our welfare/care system is a bit more stable. Plus, over here credit checks were always done so loans weren't passed out so freely. But people are also losing jobs right and left because the big banks, who got us in this mess, don't give companies loans any more and they fold.

We have had a number of cases where a father has murdered his wife and kids, then himself, because he saw no escape.... so sad.

Kathi said...

Linda,

Our family is one of those family going through uncertainity. My husband was laid off from his job nine months ago. It has been a stressful time but I am hopeful that God will provide. I have hope and that is all I can really hold on to.

Wizardress said...

I'm so happy to have found you here. I'm slowly but surely catching up with all my old faves :)

You know- I definitely believe the country will recover, and I admire Obama for what he's trying to do, but I am concerned that he's trying to focus on putting too many things on track at once, instead of working on one at a time. It will get better- but you are right, watcching the news is just depressing. You notice there is rarely any focus on anything positive happening, and surely there IS somethingn positive happening out there.

*hugs*

Cin said...

Its so scary.I am just praying that after Spring Break I can land at job at our local Walmart..

Pam said...

I have a hard time watching the news right now too - it's scary out there.

Anonymous said...

Linda-
I don't watch the news at all or read newspapers and for the reasons you just mentioned in this post. There's just too much gloom and doom. Frankly, I can't handle it.

However, I do watch CNBC and the Stock Market. What really angers me is watching all the financial guru's they have on their show talking about how President Obama's bailout plans are exactly the wrong thing to do.

What, excuse me? Aren't you folks, the rich, fat-cat Republicans responsible for putting us into this mess in the first place? And now, you're on TV telling the American public that the Democrats are going to lead us down the drain with their liberal policies.

This is exactly why I am a Democrat. Republicans care for nothing except for their own bank accounts and to hell with everyone else. Hey, the world needs ditch diggers and if you didn't go to college and if you don't have a great paying job, then that's your problem.

I've sat and watch those TV guru's actually praying for oil prices to go sky-high again! Why? My guess, is because most of them lost a ton of money when oil prices tanked and they want their money back. Never mind that higher oil prices mean, higher prices at the pump for regular hard working folks living paycheck-to-paycheck.

The sheer greed of most wealthy people astounds and disgusts me. Yes, I want the economy to recover fully and the market to flourish, and I have personal reason for wanting it to, but not at the cost of breaking the backs of the poor and the middle-class.

Fijufic said...

Scares the crap out of you doesn't it?

This murder suicide bit is getting me really nervous as I think it will get worse.

Bobby

Chris said...

Great post sweetie, and you're so right! Being in this business I have the news on all day. It's overwhelming. I've had the volume down this week as I just bear to hear it now! And to top this week off, did you hear about the man with Lyme in his brain that killed the preacher? The news is really horrible.

As much as I hate my job most days, there's also not a day goes by I'm not thankful to have it. At least until I figure out that other plan!