Thoughts While Commuting To Work

Thoughts While Commuting To Work
By
Michael Robert Gordon

Is the media distorting the news? Are we getting all the facts on the stimulus? Maybe the media assumes we would be swayed by the panic? Another depression? I’m writing this while commuting on the train to work. Passing the same parks and streets, seeing the same faces in their same seats, we’re sort of like machines moving in our commuter’s syncopation. But we’re all here. Perhaps the economy in New York is not the same as the rest of the country, but we’re reminded we should all be afraid. Be afraid – very afraid for the wind is changing direction.
It’s tough for me to write about this. I have my job and for the most part speak to the same clients and new prospects each week. Our company is doing well. When I’m on the train I’ve been struggling with these deliberations. What good can come out of this current mess? Were we ignorant to think there was no such thing as a looming bursting of the housing market? We were warned. Were were silent when we allowed congress to send our money to the banks and other firms without at least the responsibility to enact fiscal policy or reform? I don’t work for a bank. What did we learn from our past? You can’t trust the government? Be the change.
There is another theme I’m hearing. Be grateful you have a job. Remember that meal you refused to eat? You crossed your arms in front of you and would not budge. Wasn’t it ma who said, be grateful you have food? I think while the bubble was expanding we lost the ability to be grateful, to put an effort into each day, and perhaps became complacent? It’s something my grandfather who worked three jobs to take care of his family would not dare to do. He had to feed eight children.
Let the market take care of itself. There will always be special interests that will police themselves. It’s the economy stupid! Be stable. Like children, we lost the strength and boldness to call out when we saw fraud and wasteful spending, questionable transactions. Be silent. It will all go away. As long as I get mine. Why, all of a sudden we’re exposing the likes of Maddoff, and other financial crooks? Think less government, fiscal responsibility, let the market regulate itself. Can we trust?
I feel sorry for those who lost their jobs and feel more for the children who don’t have a roof over their heads. Be grateful, is my daily mantra and each day while sitting in this seat, the same one near the back of the train and listening to the same voices tell their stories or complain, I will remain grateful for my job and do the best I can. This is a time when we are correcting the market, cleaning out the corruption. It has happened before and will happen again as long as we are ignorant to our insatiable greed.