A New Perspective

February 18, 2009

photo credit: relapsed nun

Hard times are staring most of us in the face. Heck, some of us are sharing the covers with Hard Times- he’s moved in and refuses to leave. He’s eating your lunch and stealing your joy. So what’s a guy or gal to do?

Chartrand mentioned a post by Dave Rhodes that I needed to read tonight. (I’ve been buried under database management projects lately and my feed reader has gone neglected, but this is one I’m glad I took time to read.) It was a real eyeopener.

You see, here I’ve been whining because someone stole several thousand dollars from my bank account. My hairdresser screwed up my last haircut and my husband now says I could qualify as a butch lesbian. I’m considering changing my major in college and have been whining because I don’t know what to do. My extended family is driving me nuts, and the roof is leaking- again. I’ve got more complaints than a mutt has fleas.

But the truth is, the bank is going to cover my losses, my hair grows fast, and I haven’t been hit on by any pretty girls lately. I’m a year and a half away from getting my next degree, my family loves me, and I’m warm, mostly dry, and have food in the cupboard. My kids are happy and healthy, my husband still has a job. I have it pretty good compared to many.

It’s all about perspective.

You see, Dave and Dorian are struggling, maybe more so than the rest of us. And they helped me put things back into perspective. I needed that today.

We’ve gotten used to a fairly cushy life and now circumstances are pushing us out of our comfort zones. We have to scrape together bus fare for a job interview, stand in line for hours to earn $6.50 from recycling that we would normally stuff into the garbage can for someone else to dig through. We eat macaroni and cheese. We walk to work. We feed the cat leftovers instead of tuna. The cable TV gets shut off, we learn to tell each each other stories and play Monopoly for cheap entertainment. We remember to cling tightly to what matters most in life.

Stop by and give Dave and Dorian your support if you have time. Pray for them and take the time to thank God for all He provides. If we hold each other up, we just might make it through.

It’s all about perspective.

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Posted by Jamie | Filed Under Blogging

Comments

Laurie

I am a risk taker and, believe it or not, have started a new business in a recession. Right now I am making considerably less money than I was while I get the business cranking. But having less money has had its advantages. It has caused me to really prioritize wants and needs. It has simplified things just a bit. Don't get me wrong, I want to end up making tons of money but right now, where I am, I want to learn the lessons available for me here and now. It is about perspective.

RhodesTer

Cool post.. thanks for the link. If it weren't for the WordPress spies, I wouldn't have known about it. Nobody tells me anything!

I used to have money. I'm terrible at it. I give a lot of it away, and what I don't give away I spend on frivolous things. I don't want to get-rich-quick because I'll then go through the whole get-poor-quick thing again, and it's not a lot of fun.

Standing in a recycling line has its advantages - you smell better than anyone else there, and nobody is going to give you crap for leaning on their Porsche. I also like riding the bus because they pay the gas and insurance, and there's always someone to talk too, even if they don't make any sense.

I like to think of myself as having put the "spec" in "perspective", and even though I don't know what that means, it STILL made the scruffy bearded dude on the bus laugh, and that's worth it's weight in gold right there.

James Chartrand - Men with Pen

@ Jamie - I've eaten more than my share, yup. I know firsthand.

But I will say this. I was never scared. Worried, sure. Concerned, yes. And I would always say to myself, "Alright, what can I do? What are the options here? Where can I look, ask, get help, etc?"

That's the key. Never let the world take you down. Even when you're at your lowest.

<abbr>James Chartrand - Men with Pens´s last spectacular blog post..How’s Your Home Office These Days?</abbr>

Writer Dad

It is all about perspective, no doubt. I've been scared lately and we've definitely been scraping, but the sun is shining and our family is happy. The things that matter most are more than taken care of. I'll check out the post. Many thanks for pointing it out, James and Jamie.

Jamie Simmerman

Hey Sean,
I think a lot of us are scared. We lost a bundle when the stock market went south, and the unemployment rate is the highest in nearly 30 years around here. My mother, my father-in-law, my brother-in-law, several friends: all laid off. It's frightening to watch people you know be broken by financial hardship.

But you're right, the sun still shines, the kids are oblivious, and we still love each other. We'll get through and tomorrow's another day. :)

James Chartrand - Men with Pen

I know there are many people having hard times right now. Somehow, it hits harder when it's someone you know. Tough stuff, honestly.

<abbr>James Chartrand - Men with Pens´s last spectacular blog post..Three Men (with Pens) and a Lady</abbr>

Jamie Simmerman

Hey James,
It is harder when it's someone you know and like. You feel helpless and frustrated and the unfairness of it all just weighs you down. I strongly believe that everything happens for a reason. Even when we don't understand the process, sometimes hard times are the refining fire that produces a work of art in the end. That doesn't make it any easier when you feet are in the fire, but it does does give us hope that our misery isn't wasted.

But then again, I'm preaching to the choir, aren't I? You've eaten your share of Mac-N-Cheese, too.

Kim

I was just marveling at my whiney, spoiled self yesterday. You see, we're down to one car, my husband and me. And that's feeling like a serious pain to me. And then, as I was settling in for a really good pity party, I kicked myself. We work at the SAME place, during the SAME hours. And we have yet to have a serious conflict of places to be in the evenings. So WHY am I feeling so put out?

Off to go contemplate this some more.

<abbr>Kim´s last spectacular blog post..ValueSpeak January 13, 2009</abbr>

Jamie Simmerman

Kim, :D I know exactly what you mean. It's hard to embrace those decisions (even when they are practical) when you weren't the one to initiate the change. We don't like having things forced on us. We don't like giving up freedoms and privileges. And we certainly don't like being told we can live without those things we think are essential.

I think it's the worst thing when I have to postpone my hair appointment or eat canned fruit instead of fresh because money is tight. Then I realize I sound like a spoiled brat and need to get a grip. I'm learning, but I'm evidently a slow learner. :)

Ryan

That's exactly how I've felt lately, and the thing I'm most grateful for is perspective. It's almost unnerving to think how intensely my perspective has changed in the past few months--it's almost inhuman. I'm guessing the man upstairs has something to do with it.

And macaroni and cheese has never tasted better :)

Jamie Simmerman

Ryan, BTW, I love your new avatar. :) Perspective is such an eye opener. It always bothered me when people who sat behind a desk and never saw a single patient in a week's time were given the privileged of deciding the course of my patients' care. They never talked to Tom or watched him struggle to get his breath as he ate his breakfast, yet they were quick to deny his coverage for a new drug to help him breath easier because his "lab tests" showed no recent decline. (But that's a rant for another day.) It's all about perspective.