When the world turns south, the humor wanes . . . and then when it has gone so far south that it begins coming back around and going north again just so it can turn around and go south some more . . . well, at some point the humor returns, if only in a “Oh, my crap, can you BUHLIEVE?” sorta way. And that’s where I am this cold, rosey day. Hear that sound? It’s the sound of savings evaporating, 401Ks draining, and all your plans for the Good Life waving goodbye as it drives away in your 2010 Camaro to vacation in Hawaii with your dreams of retiring one day!
As I contemplate our worsening economy, all the cliches comes to mind:
– Tough times pass; tough people remain.
– Trying times are times for trying.
– This too shall pass.
– Leggo my Eggo.
– Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.
Ah, so much wisdom. But, after the initial fear that we will never experience the ‘Good Life’ again, what I find is that when things get difficult we focus on the basics of life, and on the simple joys (my wife calls them the “simple mercies”). For me, they are (or at least include) the following:
– Waking up to the smell of bacon frying.
– Stories told by seven year olds (” . . . and then, . . . . and then, . . . and then, . . . “)
– Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon”
– Watching your boy enjoy little league football
– Baking a pie and having people actually enjoy eating it
– Chicken noodle soup
– Honest pay for honest work
– The prayers of a three-year old
– A good book and a whole uninterrupted Sunday afternoon to enjoy it
– A wife who likes playing video games and watching movies until 3am
– Chips and salsa
– Walking in the rain
– The look on your son’s face as he tells you about getting his first job
– Comforting your daughter in the middle of the night after a bad dream
– Playing catch
– Serving others
– Raking leaves
– Finishing a book
– Fixing a leaky faucet
– Chocolate milk
I guess my point is, when the world sidles up to The Brink, count your many blessings, and remember where the Good Life is really found.
And that’s all I have to say about that
Cageboy.com 