What are we gonna do?  We have no gas, no water, and our U.S. budget is in the toilet!  Do we need to be saved?  Maybe a little temporarily, but, in the big picture, this is all a sign that we need to go back to living how our parents lived. 

My husband and I both grew up in homes where we lived within our means, saved for a rainy day, and, yes, we even reused a plastic bag or two. We didn’t drive around all the time, and we didn’t even water our lawns — somehow, we made it through without suffering too badly.

 I can’t believe that our lake is actually down five more feet than last year, and people are still watering their lawns and washing their cars regularly.  Gas supplies decrease and, instead of taking the time to conserve, we whine and scream about who is going to help us.

Finally, my dad was a banker many years ago, and he predicted our present — I know that the whole situation is complex, but, simply stated, too many of us are living in houses we can’t afford and spending money that we don’t have. 

My 15-year-old daughter gets credit card applications on a regular basis. Is anyone besides me old enough to remember when you were someone if you were eligible for a “gold card.” 

If, instead of being saved, we take this time (all of us) to start going back to the way our parents lived and managed their lives, we will come out of this situation stronger.  If, however, the government saves us, I am concerned that we will not have learned a thing, and life will continue the way it is.

Lastly, I remember an article that Ms. Boling wrote where she said that (paraphrased) we are trying to give our children what we think we missed as a child, and now our children are missing out on what we had. Not nearly as eloquently spoken as Ms. Boling, but nonetheless, I’ve never forgotten those words.

Margie Maloof
Cumming