It's a Sign of the Times

As my husband and I were navigating the intersection at Rt. 13 and Linden Avenue in Pocomoke, we saw several yellow signs in the ground around the Holiday Inn Express. Signs that said 'We Buy Gold'! 'We Buy Silver', 'Sell Your Old Jewelery Here'!

These are the signs of the times.

The unemployment stats were released this week and they are at the highest level in 30 years.

What are people going to do?

As folks pass by these signs they may be thinking about what they have that they could sell.
Did they recently get layed off?
Do they have money for this months house payment?
Do they have money for groceries?
Are they going to choose between bills and a Christmas gift this year?
Credit has been canceled on millions of Americans this month.
People across the US have taken home equity credit checks to the bank to cash, only to find that the credit line has been pulled by the bank.
How many pay checks are you away from losing it?
Do you have savings you can live on, or has it all gone to pay a margin call?
Do you know how to be broke?
Have you purchased things in bulk so that you will have provisions for next month?

These are scary times, and business's like this just rub our noses in it don't they?
You know the really scary thing about these business's?
It is that it brings us to the base levels of our needs.

When there is lack we do things that we would not do when there is abundance.

Like the old saying goes you don't know what someone's life is like until you have walked a mile in their shoes.

Do you know what your neighbor is going through?
Did they lose a job?
Do they have health insurance?
Do they have enough to eat?

I'm not coming down on these business's.
It's the American way. Buy low, sell high.
Are they taking advantage of a situation? Sure they are, but they aren't doing anything wrong. I just don't like to see us ina position, where it is profitable for a person in this business to set up shop in our town.
For those in our community whose lives are on the edge, who may be under the influence of drugs, this opportunity places the rest of us in an even more precarious situation.
As I said earlier you never know where someone else is, so be careful. Lock up your house and protect what you do have.

Scarcity, and humanity usually goes one or two ways...
Desperation, or Gratefulness.
Make the most of it folks. Whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
These are times when we will be able to teach our children lessons that in times of prosperity seem contrived. Use these times as learning moments for your children and take a couple of lessons yourself.

Waste not, want not.
Love your neighbor as you love yourself.
Don't worry about boxes filled under the tree this year, make some cookies and share them, make something with your hands to give as a gift. Write a letter to a loved one and let them know how much you love them.

Give of yourself, as you can always find someone who has it worse than you do.