There’s something this week that ‘s really bothering me and I have to get it off of my chest. I am so tired of hearing people toot their own horns about how good they are, how much they have, and what they can do. It seems in a time of economic downturn, we would be more conscientious about the statements we make and how what we say might affect someone else.
I spoke with a realtor friend earlier this year that told me he wanted to sell his solid-gold Rolex because he felt guilty wearing it while he was involved in so many foreclosure proceedings where people were losing everything while he was wearing a $25,000 watch. The truth of the matter is the world is not economically where it was 10 years ago. People can’t make ends meet. We are still at a 10% unemployment rate and applications for government and private financial assistance programs are at a major high. People are more conscious of where they are spending their money, well, for the most part.
Another friend was happy to share photos online with me of their recent trip to Europe. They graciously included pictures of themselves in fine restaurants, at a fine hotel and shopping at designer boutiques in Paris. An educated guess would put the cost of their trip at between $20,000-$30,000. They also posted these pictures on Facebook with no restriction of who could see them. They were proud of their trip. My problem with this is that a good number of my friends do not make $20,000 each year, and this serves to further remind them of their daily situation. While they are striving to make ends meet in an impossible economy, the rich are out blowing money like the wind that someone could use to save the bare essentials they need to stay afloat. Not that they are in the wrong, completely, they just aren't thinking this thing out.
If you are fortunate enough to have excess then I certainly applaud you. If you do not find thousands remaining at the end of the day then you certainly don’t need the reminders from those who are living apparently unscathed. At the end of the day, you have more to be proud of than they do. You not only keep going, you endure.
Dwayne Strickland
November 9, 2010
