I drive by our local mall often, and for the past several months, I’ve been watching it for signs of the recession, unemployment, and how bad the economy is suffering. Now, as much as I believe that there are places all throughout the country that are truly suffering, with debt, falling home prices and unemployment, I have to say, it’s not happening with the same fury everywhere, the way the media would have you think.
I hate to see people suffer, and those people that have lost their jobs are in my prayers. However, the falling home prices are only an immediate concern if you are trying to sell your house and/or have lost your job. If you have a stable income and are contented in your home, staying there for a few years (decade, maybe?) isn’t a big deal, so neither is the drop in value. Debt, is, as always, a major concern for us. If you are employed, you should be making a budget, sticking to it, funding your emergency fund and getting out of debt. If you are unemployed, then you are in an income crisis, and that should be your main concern…along with food, shelter (that doesn’t mean a “McMansion”) and basic utilities (i.e. lights, water and heat). You can’t focus on paying people back what you owe until you get stability back in your life, so put them on hold, even if it takes a few months.
I would like to make a point for our readers though: with roughly 10% unemployment, that means that 10 people out of 100 are out of work, which is the same as saying 90 people of 100 are employed…it’s terrible for those 10 people, but overall, it’s not a catastrophe. And those 90 out of 100? They are shopping! Maybe less often than before, and they might be spending less than before, but they are shopping…at least, that’s the way it looks EVERY time I drive past/go to the mall. The place is packed! As usual, I can’t find parking there, and the Christmas season was just as bad as usual. Now, like I said, I know this isn’t the case everywhere, but the media’s version that everyone everywhere is suffering terribly, in houses they can’t afford, without jobs and piling up debt. This isn’t true either. The truth, as usual, is probably somewhere in the middle. Some are suffering, some aren’t. If you are suffering, I wish you luck and speed in your job searches and in getting out of debt, and if your job and home life are stable and “secure”, work hard to keep it that way, and help those who need it, either with prayer, food donations or job contacts (etc.).
