A Look At The Recession

For some reason, when I think of the word “recession”, the image of the tide going out pops into my head. This is strange because I have lived land-locked my entire life. I have always had a fascination with the ocean, followed quickly by fear because of the vast unknown. I do know from a few beach visits, that when the tide goes out little mysteries reveal themselves on the beach. Sometimes they are tragic, and other times they can be entertaining and make you feel as if you have witnessed something special.

We have all heard the experts talk about the recession (are we still in it, or out of it?) and most viewpoints, for me, invoke fascination and usually fear. What would really happen to America if we sank into another Great Depression? How would my kids function without a cell phone, internet or fast food? I'm fascinated by that very thought since my childhood was filled with day-long bike riding with other kids and packed lunches. My grandmother spoke often of the Great Depression and having to choose butter or jam for her homemade biscuit, but not both. Milk, eggs and butter were traded for flour, feed and shoes, and if you didn’t have a farm or garden, fresh produce was a luxury. I fear having to share my house with other family members because that is the only way we might be able to afford to live. I haven't tried my hand at a garden for years, and the last time was not what I would call a success.

I do feel like I am somewhat prepared for the worst and can “buckle down” because in my lifetime, I have lived somewhat without. I have been given the gift of first hand accounts shared with me on how to literally live without. However, the generation that grew up during the Great Depression is shrinking, leaving us with fewer experienced resources to rely on. We in America have endured 13 recessions since the crash of 1929, not including the one we are in.

With the earthquake and tsunami events unfolding in Japan, we can only assume our world economy will have its own aftershocks. Just when things started to show a bit of recovery, mother nature reminds us how small humans are on her planet.