The Economy

I work for a financial institution. I see firsthand what the economy is doing. I hate turning on the news and have some talking head tell me that he economy is in the dumps. I have family members that sing that song quite often. I ask them two questions, Have you gone out to eat this week? And When was the last time you went to a concert? The answer I usually receive is, Yes and sometime in the last three weeks. Have any of you been out to eat lately? Or gone to a bar or concert? Been to a professional sporting event? My point is this; chances are that the last time you did any of those thing, it was crowded.

If the economy is so bad, why do I have to wait two hours to get a table at Texas Roadhouse? Why are all the concerts here in the Denver area charging an arm and leg for a ticket and selling out? If the economy is so bad, why do athletes get million dollar contracts? Where is all this money coming from if the economy is bad?

I love talking to people, especially older people. I listen to their stories about growing up during the Great Depression. No where in their stories did they eat out. I grew up during the recession years of the late sixties and early seventies. We lived paycheck to paycheck and hardly ever went out to eat, let alone go to a concert. We just didn't have the money. I didn't have the most expensive shoes on the block. My mom made a lot of our clothes. I grew up thinking that the first four words at a family reunion were "K-Mart Blue Light Specials". My parents made due with what they had. They made what little money we had, go as far as it could.

These people that moan about how bad the economy is, have never had it bad. I have a great job that pays me a decent salary. I work hard for my paycheck. I use that money to pay for things that my parents never had. I give my children opportunities that I never had. And I am grateful. I am grateful that they never have to go to bed hungry like the kids in the depression. I am grateful that I can afford to buy them new clothes for school each year. In my opinion, and it is just that my opinion, the economy is clicking along just fine. Stop the whining and eat out.