That blasted other shoe...

Have you ever had the feeling that you are waiting for the other shoe to drop? I generally have a feeling of either having forgotten something rather important, letting someone down or that something tragic is about to happen. Now, don't think I'm paranoid...I just always live with this thought of the inevitable in the back of my mind. Do you?

I have nagging questions to which there are no answers. Will our country weather this current financial storm as the markets continue to free fall? Will we slide into socialism? Will we be able to support ourselves in the shadow of increasing taxes? Will my children be able to live in a free society and make a living? These things are of great concern to me, and others, I'm know. Unfortunately, I feel completely and totally helpless to make any sort of difference in the outcome.

I have heard those that blame our last president for this mess. Personally, I find this rather short-sighted. Not that every president shouldn't take his share of blame, but a mess such as this had to have been in the making for decades; in fact, that is what financial gurus have stated. I just find it difficult to blame one person for millions of people making mistakes with their personal finances and getting in too much debt. I think we are all to blame for living outside our means for too long. It started in the eighties with the lavish lifestyle that was faddish at the time. Big cars, big parties and big hair were all the rage, and spending that duel-income to be cool was the thing to do...I'm just as guilty as the next guy.

The credit card companies and the mortgage industry have to take a lion's share of the blame. How many times did I go out to my mailbox only to find it stuffed with solicitations for credit cards or refinancing at unbelievable rates? Sure, most can say no to this nonsense, but some cannot. Mortgages given to unqualified buyers just to get them into homes had to lead to a bad place - we all watched it happen. And, even if we would have sounded the alarm, or even simply asked why, nothing would have changed. The train was already headed down the track.

I am stunned at the position we, as a nation, are in at the moment. I don't see any common sense being used and it is quite disconcerting - such unbridled corruption from all sides. I know there are quite a few folks (about half the nation) that are hopeful and happy to have their taxes increased at every turn...for the greater good, right? I just don't understand the logic of healing the economy by taxation. In my simple view, if you want the economy to improve, you have to put money into the hands of the consumers. More taxation obviously takes money away from consumers and into the coffers of the government.

So, I continue to wait for the other shoe to drop. Will my husband get his pay decreased or lose his job? Will food and fuel prices go up so high that we cannot make our house payments? Or worse, will I watch as my friends and family go through financial hard times - I don't want that for any of us.

Perhaps I'm just soft and lazy...typical American. We just don't know how to 'hunker down and make do', do we? We like our mini-vans and SUVs, new clothes, eating out and traveling. I don't want to give that up...will we have to so we can bail out more high-paid execs? Will I have to pay 10 cents more a gallon at the gas pump so I can fund the government's pork bills?

For believers, there is some relief in knowing that the all-knowing G-d of the Universe is in ultimate control. But, did I say that I hate waiting?

I'm sure I won't have to wait for long.