For the most part, I think we need to re-evaluate our values - why is that we avoid mom & pop shops for the sole purpose of "catching a deal" at a mega-mart. Who are we helping? Who are we hurting? And more importantly...why don't ever seem to stop to ask those questions?
I understand in these tough times that we all need to be money conscious, but I can't help but place at least some of the blame for our current predicament on ourselves.WE let things get this way. You can blame politicians all you want, but it is OUR votes that keep them in office. You can blame the economic downturn on a cyclical roller coaster, but the reality is that is OUR job to keep our financial stability in check. Where is the money going? Could our money be better managed? By whom?
I don't know about you, but I'm tired of the government assuming that we can't be bothered with details. We have a right to know where our tax money goes and telling us that is "over our heads" or "it's being handled by those better qualified" is not an acceptable response.
Unfortunately, we have a handicap. We have a lot of people in our society who are more than happy to let them drive while they soak up whatever handouts they can. This is a huge problem. We don't stand a chance if we don't hold ourselves accountable. It's completely natural to want to accept something for free to make life easier, but as I previously stated, easy doesn't equal right. Perhaps there's nothing we can do to prevent inevitable free-loaders, but I think a little inspiration and social pressure goes a long way. We should make it known that we expect more of our citizens if we want our society to continue to grow and thrive. I can't say that I'm shocked that the rich get richer while the poor get poorer because the middle-class has completely given up the fight. It seems as though the middle class has resolved to just look out for "number 1" and eek through life. How is anything supposed to change with that kind of attitude? Is the bare minimum what we now strive for?
I value hard-workers. There are people out there that take the hard road because it's the right thing to do and that's all the reason they need to push forward. They struggle, but don't expect anyone else to pull their weight. They suffer for the sake of their integrity.
Farmers are a perfect example of this. To me, they represent a simpler time when our nation had it's head on straight. There was no harm in moving forward, as long as you didn't forget where you came from. They work so hard and with so little reward. Many of them struggle to put the food they grow on their own table people because the McMansion family down the street would rather pay for convenience than quality. They'd rather by-pass the local farmer's market that has been in operation for over 50 years to shop at the MegaMart that chemically treats it's produce so it can make the trip from other countries...just to save a couple dollars.
I try to shop responsibly, but I'd be lying if I said that I try my hardest. There's always room for improvement. It's discouraging to know that I'm only one person and my effort probably won't even register on the proverbial P&L report, but my hope in posting this is that I might inspire others to do the same. Shouldn't we all think before we spend?
K.
