The World of Grandpa Don  

Last week end Tom and Diane went to the ring ceremony at Marist, very impressive. Congratulations Kelley. Caitlin went on her trip to Scripps College and was very impressed with the school. Hopefully the feeling is mutual. She will wait for their decision. In addition to a tour of the campus, endowed with many orange trees with fruit for the picking and consumption by the students and faculty alike, there were interviews with professors and coaches including the swim coach who offered an open invitation to her if she is accepted. 

Karen Plefka and a couple friends decided that if their husbands are taking trips to the south to play golf in the spring, they need a treat too. They flew to Jamaica for a few days. They enjoyed their trip although marred by an unusual amount of rain.

Frank Schober suggests that Check this neat vehicle. http://www.flixxy.com/snow-vehicle-concept.htm Neat isn't it. I can see it being used in sand as well... and what about water? Why don't we see them around?

Victor Hugo's statement seems contradictory. Many of us are feeling the pinch these days. I have cut back on expenditures due to the poor economy in an effort to insure that I do not outlive my IRA, my primary source of income. This, at a time when the value of the IRA has diminished considerably with the value of it's stock holdings. The fact is that when people have less they tend to be less married to their possessions and realize that it is people who matter, not money and the toys it can buy. It seems that when we have a lot, our possessions own us and we become obsessed in keeping them as kind of a security blanket. Like a security blanket, they are an irrational crutch which in fact provides no real security.

Our security ultimately is in our resourcefulness, our attitude, our faith and in our families and friends. Not that we look to family and friends for monetary support, but we look to them for more important things ... love, comfort and understanding. We are all in the same boat and seeing how others cope in diversity gives us assurance that we can not only survive but thrive in the important aspects of life. I heard stories of my family during the depression of the 30's and know my father was unemployed and they lost a home to foreclosure. They survived and I remember a very happy childhood. They lived through it and raised me in the process. I would call them successful. Not rich ... successful.

I am disturbed that the focus of our politicians at this time is to restore the flow of credit in order to bolster the economy. It seems to me that the over-abundance of credit is what got us into this situation as well as the "need" of people to raise their "standard of living" well beyond their ability to earn enough to support it. We are victims of the mentality of instant gratification of our ego driven wants and call it ambition. We have gone well beyond the satisfaction of our legitimate needs to grasping to fulfill our wants thinking more and better of everything will give us security. Well, like the security blanket, it is false security. Our security blanket is tattered and falling apart as all security blanket do. Please don't try to give us a new one but teach us to live without it.

What government can do is prevent bankers from extending unreasonable amounts of credit and educate people to recognize unadvised borrowing or  fraudulent schemes. There are lawyers profiting on helping people who have $25,000 in credit card debt to file for bankruptcy. (I have seen their TV adds)  Good grief ... who would be dumb enough to get in that much retail debt? There are those of us who simply see something advertised and must have it ... now! Why? It is greed on the part of the buyer, the seller, and the lender, all trying to beat the system, living in a dream world and hoping they never wake up. I find less fault with the seller. He provides, for the most part, a product that meets a genuine need. But I do find fault with his advertising methods which prey on the ego and poor judgment of the consumer.

Don't make credit easier to get. That is like putting gasoline on a fire when water is needed or offering a beer to an alcoholic. We need moderation in all things and to learn the value of life itself rather than trying to avoid the realities of life. The one with the most toys is not the winner for the toys are an encumbrance. They don't satisfy because they are not a genuine need. Only real needs fulfilled will bring satisfaction and happiness. Anything beyond that creates unhappiness because, since they are not capable of satisfying, there is a want of more.

We must learn to live with what we have and can afford. And then ... we must learn to share. There will be enough for everyone.