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July 2003
Posts: 3111
Location: Nashville TN. | Grow light bulbs can really help mood
in shorter day light.
I am using Phillips Agro Lights |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | Anybody remember the episode of "NorthernExposure" where (in the midst of 6 months of darkness) everybody took to wearing visors with little white lights under the brim???
GreatSeries. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Re-watching them. I'm just starting season 3. |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 1234
Location: Tidal Mudflats of Virginia | Well having lived in over half the states over the years, I have to agree sunshine helps but your mental attitude dictates your depression level.
Seven years in Hawaii, half was the best years of my life, the other half was the worst. The job and the people I worked with made my depression level what it was. Maybe paradise but the cost of living is not matched by anyplace else in the US, not Alaska, not the taxation belt of the Northeast. But hey, you can go to the beach everyday.
A childhood in Michigan resulted in the fact I now HATE snow but two years stationed in Alaska and I loved it regardless of the snow. The green mountains, and people offset the 350 days of overcast skies, sleet and cold. Lack of malls was also a nice thing but even that is changing. Sunshine and warm weather of the Southern States; South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi & Texas was definitely offset by the Hurricanes, retired inapt drivers and mosquitoes. California...assholes, smog and traffic...yuck. Oregon and Washington...nothing every dried...rain and more rain, almost too much green if that's possible. Not my cub of tea...
But Cliff hit it right on, about 8 years ago I died on the emergency room table and was fortunately revive following a ventricular tachycardia. My loves ones thought they had lost me and I got the scare of my life. It has put things into perspective...I live today for today and don't stress what tomorrow may or may not bring. We are all just passengers on this ride called life. Look past your problems and enjoy friends and family. Pull out the guitars and just play some music for the holidays :) |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | I just spent a few days in Lansing, Michigan. The downtown was pretty depressing - the only thing that was missing was a few tumbleweeds here and there. That being said, the customers that I was with seemed to have NO problem with depression. Their business is doing well and they seemed to be having a great time. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Originally posted by Tim in Tidewater:
We are all just passengers on this ride called life. Tim, have you been watching "Northern Exposure" too? |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | To answer your question, in a nutshell... yes.
A year and a half ago I would have said that we have turned the corner away from the 911 economy. Now I'm not so sure the worst is over. A sign on the local real estate office says, "Over 100 Bank Owned Homes Listed!" Not good. I have been very diligent and responsible with my 401k but I will have no lifetime pension or health care. I have a friend who works for a school district that complained that their brand name prescription drugs went from a $5 co-pay to a $7 co-pay and that their free massages have been cut. Meanwhile, out in the real world I'm having to pay $40 for a brand name script while my taxes support those type of benefits.
The world is in flux. And Michigan might be a little ahead of what is going on.
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GWB... I PM'd you. |
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Joined:
January 2002
Posts: 14127
Location: 6 String Ranch | These are pretty stressful times, and getting more so.
Fortunately I've been able to avoid it all. |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4815
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | I get a little down in the dark season and would move to Mexico (for at least half the year) in a flash if the wife would come.
I've been in advertising and/or self-employed almost all my life. So job security has never existed for me, I'm never 100% sure of the next paycheck.
For all that most would see me as I think I am, basically happy.
"I beg your pardon
I never promised you a rose garden"
But at least I live in The Garden of Ursh ....(see 'Canadian Singer) |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 1132
Location: Parrish, FL | Although we both will become unemployed in March, my wife and I are surprisingly upbeat, even to the point of working out a plan to survive up to a year without meaningful income and send my son off to his first year of college. Granted, it will eat up all of our meager retirement savings, but it can be done, if necessary.
Perhaps we are naïve, but I don’t think so. We have been here before, tighten our belts, and worked through it. A positive attitude is a must. It might be tougher this time around. We’re a little older (still under 50 though) and our skills are not quite up to date on the technical side, but we’re ambitious and willing to do what it takes.
The biggest hurdle we have to deal with is finding a good job without relocating. Doing so will allow my daughter to finish high school without moving her again. Is this a real constraint? No, but we moved her once after her freshmen year and it would be best not to do so again, at least for her sake. The Knoxville, TN area should allow us to do this, but you never know, we may be forced to move anyway.
I think the key is flexibility. Our desire is to stay put, but if that doesn’t work out, one of us will go elsewhere to get through the next 18 months. If that doesn’t work, we’ll both go if necessary. What matters is that we are putting together a plan, with contingencies, that we will work to until the paychecks are re-established.
The horizon is dark right now, but the clouds will pass and we’ll be alright. We’ve been on the edge of letting the banks take it all back, but we dug in and got through it before. We are nowhere near that point right now and don’t intend to let it happen again.
It’s all attitude! |
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Joined:
November 2005
Posts: 4815
Location: Campbell River, British Columbia | When I closed my business six years ago I gave the staff AND the clientele 2 weeks notice. We actually all had a pretty good time under the circumstances.
AND, it was amazing how many of my clients had similar stories. They all said, "you'll get through this and come out the other side stronger."
While a bit of a sop, it's true. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. You just might not recognize the strength.
...............................................
P.S. - Gro-lights are VERY popular around here..... :rolleyes: |
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Joined:
August 2006
Posts: 3145
Location: Marlton, NJ | Brad - what do you guys do for a living? |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | When I started fretting (notice how I keep this guitar-oriented?) about retirement a year ago, my wife started up an ebay business, which is rapidly growing almost faster than we can keep up.
I never would have imagined it, since she has an aversion to computers, and I'm really proud of her!
There are always opportunities to take advantage of! |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 15654
Location: SoCal | Like some others here, I'm self employed and have been for the majority of my adult life (1st 2 1/2 years working on commission, next 2 1/2 years on salary, next 22 years self employed). I never know where next month is coming from or even when my clients are going to get their bills paid (December sucks for getting paid), my wife always stresses to me that there's no such thing as job security. You can have a job that you think is secure and get laid off tomorrow.
My dad always said that job security is not having a job that you can always count on, but rather, knowing that you can always find work.
My brother has a great attitude. He says that in chaos, there is profit.
It's important to take a long term view of things. Nothing stays the same, and change can happen quickly or slowly. When it's slowly, we don't notice it. The economic base of this country has been changing for decades, but we often don't see it until it hits us personally. You gotta keep watching the overall picture. Personally, I do think we're near the bottom of the economic cycle. When everybody is bearish, it's time to buy!
As for being happy, it's something that you've got to work at and not take for granted. You've got to actively watch for the things around you that do make you happy, and remember that everybody else is in the same boat. Somebody once said that the happiest person they ever saw was somebody they didn't know very well.
Hey, life is the only game in town. You can can't win if you don't play. So play it with gusto.... |
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Joined:
January 2007
Posts: 146
Location: Japan | I thought about this a lot back in the 80's when I was traveling full-time and noticed that some towns would be in full depression while others were just rolling.
One town in particular I remember was Battle Mountain, Nevada, where they'd just had a gold strike and it really stuck in my memory because the town (can't remember where, but maybe somewhere in Idaho) we'd just come from had been in a really bad financial state.
Anyway I try to live with the thought always in mind that "life is what happens while you're busy making other plans" and face what comes next, regardless.
Don't always do so well at accepting things at first, but generally adapt soon after. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | Originally posted by CrimsonLake:
Brad - what do you guys do for a living? Mostly sales & service of hydraulic components for construction and refuse equipment. We are not heavily in with the auto industry but here in Michigan, it's all part of the same cloth in the end. |
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Joined:
May 2003
Posts: 425
Location: SE Michigan | I work in the Telecom - IT Business. My job is stable for the time being. But there are a lot of people in Michigan living on the edge and it's next to impossible to sell a house.
We also seem to be having an unseasonably cold autumn. I was kind of getting spoiled with the climate change, in the past few years it really doesnt get cold until late December. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4026
Location: Utah | Originally posted by Tupperware:
There is no time to sit around and hope that it'll get better on it's own. 'Cuz it WON'T. Truer words have never been spoken. Reaction only occurs in response to action.
I've been on borrowed time since July 2, 1998 when I looked into the eyes of the Grim Reaper and somehow survived a theoretically impossible situation. Last summer, my 11 yr old son, I, and my 75 yr old dad were swept out to deep water by a rip current at the beach just as fast as that. We were lucky as hell to make it back to shore. You never know when your time is up, and then it's too late to go back.
For my 2cents, things are better than ever. As an airline pilot, we've been on the race to the bottom in wages. Honest truth is I would be many dollars ahead had I become a public high school math teacher, which was an option I seriously considered 16 years ago when I got into professional flying. But, I enjoy my job and I am employed.
There have been some lean times over the past 16 years. Post 9-11-2001 was some serious job and financial stress, but we weathered that storm. Some years I made less than $10k working crazy ass jobs to pay my dues towards getting the big bucks dream job someday. :rolleyes:
Ten years ago, we qualified for food stamps and my kids got free breakfast and lunch at school. Today we have a good income and enjoy the luxury of being frugal so that two kids can go to a top private school and the third goes to an excellent private college, with no debt to fund it.
But that is all just money stuff. The important stuff is performing with my 15 yr old daughter in a band at church, and going shooting with my son. It's easy to stress over money, but it pales in importance to family time. |
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Joined:
March 2007
Posts: 665
Location: Tychy, Poland | Originally posted by BT717:
laid off after 29 years! 2 days before I got laid off I find out I have $6500.00 of dental work that needs to be done NOW or I will have some major problems soon (Due to past medical situation not lack of care). i don't know what you have to do. but... book airplane tickets to poland, take some ovation with ya. You'll see something new, save at least a grand (or more - it depends what has to be done) and have a vacations.
btw.
guys - head up. Even if Your ecenomy is in recession it's much better than Polish in state of booming.
You guys may start thinking about selling an adamas for $2000 or so,
i work 4 months for that money.
You guys might think about cutting a few guitars from Your collection - i'm down to one, i've even had to sell electric which was my main instrument, and i'm down to only a heavily beaten 1617
But i'm happy. Now it's near 10 p.m. here, i'm sitting in front of computer, listening to some weird version of shape of my heart, practicing guitar scales to this and drinking cola, and looking at polish auction portal for some playable electric up to $500 which i want to buy for a holidays.
Without bad moments in life, we wouldn't be able to appreciate good ones. |
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Joined:
September 2003
Posts: 9301
Location: south east Michigan | I do know that I'm a heck of a lot better off than many, many others. There are a lot of people dancing closer to the edge of the cliff than myself. And for that, I am grateful.
How bad can it be?? I am still going to Amelia Island Clinic. (Which afterwords I'm sure will be known as the Amelia Island Incident!) |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | times like these will shake our foundations a bit. we will find out if we have been building on sand or on rock. time to examine priorities. the externals will only get worse. it's the internals, the heart conditions, that matter. |
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Joined:
October 2005
Posts: 4026
Location: Utah | If you are feeling stressed and/or depressed, try turning off the tv. Most especially, turn off the news. Remember that the media is in the business of selling doom, gloom, and disaster. It is what gets eyeballs tuning in, so they push it.
If the zombies attack or if Mars explodes, you will hear about it elsewhere. It really doesn't improve your life to know about the kids who burned in a house fire six states away, and it sure as hell doesn't matter what Brittany Spears is doing.
I find that my stress level is much lower now that the tv is turned off. |
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Joined:
October 2006
Posts: 5575
Location: big island | the best thing on TV these days is the "OFF" button. |
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Joined:
February 2005
Posts: 11840
Location: closely held secret | Brad, you can dance as close to Cliff as you choose, no one will stop you (except maybe Cliff).
FlySig, you are right on. I watch tv, but haven't watched the news for years, because mostly it isn't news, it's agenda. And it's always negative. |
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Joined:
March 2002
Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | The only News I watch/listen to is the BBC.
(the only problem is their Weather Forecasts suck) |
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IS THIS THE MOST STRESSFULL TIME OF YOUR LIFE ?
