Optimist or pessimist ?

Are you an optimist or a pessimist ? You say the market will go up. I say it will go down. I suppose that makes us bulls and bears. Some might call me a pessimist because I foresee future declines.

I foresee many more bankruptcies, and foreclosures, and evictions, and budget shortfalls. I foresee the average family having to say NO to a lot of discretionary spending, maybe to ALL discretionary spending. In other words, stop buying junk.

I foresee middle-class kids being forced to stay at home and go to community colleges. And do without a car or designer jeans. And forget what a frappachino tastes like.

I foresee folks being forced to actually meet their neighbors. To ask for a cup of sugar or a ride or for aspirin in the middle of the night, because 24-hour Wal-mart has become a thing of the past. I foresee folks saving things and re-using things and actually building things to last because the disposable economy has died and been buried.

I foresee families moving in with one another and pooling resources to make ends meet. And staying home and spending time with one another simply because there is not extra money to "run the roads" or "cruise the malls". Choosing to buy food and shoes instead of a flat screen TV because easy credit is gone. And the shoes are made at a local factory because the Global-Economy has crashed.

I foresee a resurrection of the qualities and talents and ingenuity that at one time made us uniquely American. That we will learn once again to actually make the things we need instead of being enslaved to China. That we will again be known as Citizens instead of Consumers.

I foresee more folks being forced to turn to Prayer because there is no where else to turn. Maybe small local Churches will increase and Mega-churches will decline. And congregations will forge new bonds. Not for social status but for survival.

Some may call that pessimistic. Or say that it is a decline of America and a reversal of progress. But it might just be the only thing that saves us.