Personally, I would rather fixate on happy and cheerful news. But the "sounds of silence" of this (d)recession just need to be spoken.
The latest sword of the Recession hit me and a few of friends quite deeply. Last Sunday evening, my friend, Sunshine, texted me in horror. Our beloved Talbots was closed! There were no signs of there ever being life at the store where I spent a decent size fortune was gone from our lives. "Who will dress me"? was one of my first questions. "Where will I shop"? was the next question.
Then, I personally took the blame. I'm sorry to the Talbot gods. In my current circumstances, I just could not buy enough beautiful clothing to sustain the store. My friend, Sunshine, admitted since her lifestyle had changed, she was not shopping as much at our store.
When I say, my store, I mean it. The tastefully dressed women at Talbots were like family. Candy and Sue would greet me at the door and drop everything to focus on me. Where do you get that type of service from a retailer? Honestly, tell me. I need to know.
After a day or two, we realized that the larger Talbot's stores are still open for business. What relief!
Over the 18 months, we have heard about General Motors, AIG (still paying bonuses), and other huge corporations going bankrupt and whining for money. How many trillions of small businesses and families have gone bankrupt in silence?
MOM - with plenty of clothes for now.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
Sweet Dreams (Eurythymics)
Calling all Baby Boomers!
Perhaps this crazy economic time has been a recession for the generations of X and Y. Yes, things are tight. The job market is thin. But in conversations of with members of generations X and Y, they feel there is time to recoop from this economic plunge.
To many of my friends and acquaintances who happen to be baby boomers, this recession disguised a Depression. There I said it. The D word.
Not all, but many baby boomers have lost/spent their life savings and/or retirement money just to survive the last 18 months. Many have lost their homes to foreclosure. How many have lost jobs? Within that number of jobless rates, how many have had to reinvent themselves? How many are working at a fraction of their pre-depression compensation? Where are the opportunities for the baby boomers?
After a few heartfelt conversations, many of us have felt we have gone full-circle in our lives. We are starting from scratch. We are picking up shattered pieces of dreams, hopes, plans, and our lives. This is way too depressing for me.
Let’s focus on the other D word. DREAMS! However you want to name them: new dreams, refocused dreams, minimized dreams, etc. Let’s continue to DREAM. Without dreams, there is no hope. Without hope, there is not success or future.
Perhaps this crazy economic time has been a recession for the generations of X and Y. Yes, things are tight. The job market is thin. But in conversations of with members of generations X and Y, they feel there is time to recoop from this economic plunge.
To many of my friends and acquaintances who happen to be baby boomers, this recession disguised a Depression. There I said it. The D word.
Not all, but many baby boomers have lost/spent their life savings and/or retirement money just to survive the last 18 months. Many have lost their homes to foreclosure. How many have lost jobs? Within that number of jobless rates, how many have had to reinvent themselves? How many are working at a fraction of their pre-depression compensation? Where are the opportunities for the baby boomers?
After a few heartfelt conversations, many of us have felt we have gone full-circle in our lives. We are starting from scratch. We are picking up shattered pieces of dreams, hopes, plans, and our lives. This is way too depressing for me.
Let’s focus on the other D word. DREAMS! However you want to name them: new dreams, refocused dreams, minimized dreams, etc. Let’s continue to DREAM. Without dreams, there is no hope. Without hope, there is not success or future.
Trifecta plus One
Through my cursory perusal of the dictionary, I did not find a word for four wins in a row. In some instances, trifecta is used interchangeable with “Hat Trick.” So for this blog today, we will use trifecta plus one.
Last year about this time, we had a blog entitled “Holiday” (Madonna). So you may remember, I love and celebrate every holiday, including Groundhog Day. Celebrating holidays makes life special, in the fabulous sense.
Right now, we are in the third holiday of a trifecta plus one extravaganza. Yesterday, Sunday, February 14 was a double bonus. It was Valentine’s Day and the Chinese New Year. Both of these great days are celebrated with the color red. Did you wear your red yesterday? This is the year of the tiger.
2010 is the year of Tiger. Some people say 2010 is a Golden Tiger, White Tiger or Metal Tiger year.
Today is President’s Day. If you have the day free from work or school, please celebrate the day with a “President’s Day Sale,” cherry pie or waving the flag.
Tomorrow, Tuesday is FAT Tuesday or Mardi Gras. What a way to end a trifecta plus one in holidays. Please at least wear your mardi gras beads. Coco has a set of beads to wear tomorrow. Personally, I have red beads to wear. Eat whatever you what and do act crazy.
Celebrate and enjoy the holidays - MOM
Last year about this time, we had a blog entitled “Holiday” (Madonna). So you may remember, I love and celebrate every holiday, including Groundhog Day. Celebrating holidays makes life special, in the fabulous sense.
Right now, we are in the third holiday of a trifecta plus one extravaganza. Yesterday, Sunday, February 14 was a double bonus. It was Valentine’s Day and the Chinese New Year. Both of these great days are celebrated with the color red. Did you wear your red yesterday? This is the year of the tiger.
2010 is the year of Tiger. Some people say 2010 is a Golden Tiger, White Tiger or Metal Tiger year.
Today is President’s Day. If you have the day free from work or school, please celebrate the day with a “President’s Day Sale,” cherry pie or waving the flag.
Tomorrow, Tuesday is FAT Tuesday or Mardi Gras. What a way to end a trifecta plus one in holidays. Please at least wear your mardi gras beads. Coco has a set of beads to wear tomorrow. Personally, I have red beads to wear. Eat whatever you what and do act crazy.
Celebrate and enjoy the holidays - MOM
Saturday, February 6, 2010
THINK! (Aretha Frankin)
THINK!
One of the common catch phrases is "Think outside the box."
Another phrase is "Not everything is black or white. Think in shades of gray." Personally, if I thought in shades of gray, I would be horribly depressed. Gray is an awfully dreary color. Yes, I understand the meaning of the saying.
Here's my favorite, "See the big picture. Think big."
No wonder people keep reinterating these phrases. As a society, we are not taught to think beyond the lines.
Case in point. When our children start coloring we are excited. They have learned a new skill. But how often as a parent or adult, does that perfectly bright child hear, "it's beautiful, but you colored outside the lines." But maybe, just maybe, the child views the picture as big. Isn't that what we want This child is thinking outside the lines of confinement.
Lately, Monkey and I have been playing this game. We watch people and try to guess if the colored inside the lines. We play this game because we are very proud of the fact that I encouraged my girls to color outside the lines. My reasoning was to raise creative and open thinkers. While it was not easy raising my free thinkers, it has been quite rewarding. Both Monkey and Neptune color outside the lines and see the big picture. Their viewpoints are so interesting and different.
So again, I am encouraging Coco to color outside the lines so she can THINK!
From outside the box - MOM
One of the common catch phrases is "Think outside the box."
Another phrase is "Not everything is black or white. Think in shades of gray." Personally, if I thought in shades of gray, I would be horribly depressed. Gray is an awfully dreary color. Yes, I understand the meaning of the saying.
Here's my favorite, "See the big picture. Think big."
No wonder people keep reinterating these phrases. As a society, we are not taught to think beyond the lines.
Case in point. When our children start coloring we are excited. They have learned a new skill. But how often as a parent or adult, does that perfectly bright child hear, "it's beautiful, but you colored outside the lines." But maybe, just maybe, the child views the picture as big. Isn't that what we want This child is thinking outside the lines of confinement.
Lately, Monkey and I have been playing this game. We watch people and try to guess if the colored inside the lines. We play this game because we are very proud of the fact that I encouraged my girls to color outside the lines. My reasoning was to raise creative and open thinkers. While it was not easy raising my free thinkers, it has been quite rewarding. Both Monkey and Neptune color outside the lines and see the big picture. Their viewpoints are so interesting and different.
So again, I am encouraging Coco to color outside the lines so she can THINK!
From outside the box - MOM
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Just one word - "Plastics" - (The Graduate)
Do you realize that classic movie was made in 1967? That’s 43 years ago.
Back in 1976, I was employed by the number 2 banking association. This banking association was more of an educational resource to the industry than the number 1 banking association. While pursuing through educational materials, I came across an article entitled, “Cashless Society.” Honestly when reading this article, I could not even imagine something as strange as a cashless society. How would we pay for things?
The zips – 00 – Combine the two thoughts – Plastic and cashless society – What do we have? Credit Cards, ATM cards, debit cards, reward cards, FSA (Flexible Spending Account) cards, insurance cards, I-pass cards and devices. The list is far longer. Who could have imagined? I wonder if those geniuses thought of Identify theft?
Plastics – and not a Barbie Doll - MOM
Back in 1976, I was employed by the number 2 banking association. This banking association was more of an educational resource to the industry than the number 1 banking association. While pursuing through educational materials, I came across an article entitled, “Cashless Society.” Honestly when reading this article, I could not even imagine something as strange as a cashless society. How would we pay for things?
The zips – 00 – Combine the two thoughts – Plastic and cashless society – What do we have? Credit Cards, ATM cards, debit cards, reward cards, FSA (Flexible Spending Account) cards, insurance cards, I-pass cards and devices. The list is far longer. Who could have imagined? I wonder if those geniuses thought of Identify theft?
Plastics – and not a Barbie Doll - MOM
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