Last Thursday I had to drive to south San Jose for a 2 p.m.
appointment. It’s usually an easy 45-minute trip so I started out
at 1, but I was almost late. All the roads were very busy, much
busier than I’d seen them at a non-rush-hour for many months. It
took me some time to figure it out
– people were out joyriding, taking in the first taste of spring
weather.
Last Thursday I had to drive to south San Jose for a 2 p.m. appointment. It’s usually an easy 45-minute trip so I started out at 1, but I was almost late. All the roads were very busy, much busier than I’d seen them at a non-rush-hour for many months. It took me some time to figure it out – people were out joyriding, taking in the first taste of spring weather.
Why not? We are all ready for spring. We are long overdue. It’s been nothing but doom and gloom for six-months. The economy collapsed in mid-September and there has been one, and only one, benefit. We relearned an age-old fundamental truth. If we are to survive and advance, we have to rely on ourselves more than anything or anyone else. Community and nation can help, but they can only enable and support you, but for the most part, you control your destiny and your own happiness.
That’s good in one respect it reinforces our own importance. When things are going along well on cruise control, we tend to give credit to the gods; the gods of government or the gods of industry or even the gods of chance. When things are going bad we start out by blaming all those gods, but eventually we realize that we have more control of our own future than all the governments and all the industry in the universe.
If you were on the road Thursday and you were taking a little extra time to enjoy that spring weather, it was probably your own decision. Perhaps you played a little hooky, slowed down, opened the window, took a deep breath and thought that things were not that bad. Why not make some plans for the future. After all, ready or not, the future will come.
Take a day this week and ignore the stock market ticker. Don’t read the national newspapers and skip CNN. It won’t matter. The administration, Congress, the Federal Reserve and all the bankrupt bankers will do what they will do and if you read about it or don’t read about, it won’t make a bit of difference.
Check the sprinklers – summer is coming. Walk the dog – you need the exercise. Pack a picnic basket – go sit in the park for lunch.
None of those depends on the interest rate for the enjoyment they give. If you’re not up for any of that, how about bragging about your grandchildren. Better yet, go see your grandchildren find out how they are doing and tell them a story, something about your life when you were their age. Don’t mention the economy – economy is not a grandchildren word.
If you think this column is a little shorter than usual, you’re right. I’m taking a bit of a spring break, and so should you. You’ll be surprised how good it will make you’ll feel.
