You know the saying that when “the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Well, my partner and I have a different take on it: We go shopping. Now we did this a lot more ten years ago before the economy went south and we hit our 50’s with its mounting pressures to save for retirement. But lately, it’s getting so tough that maybe we might put off saving a bit for retirement and indulge in some immediate gratification.
Nowadays shopping is so easy. The stores just about grab you through the Internet and barrage you with mailed catalogues. You know how it goes: hard to make the money and so easy to spend it (and so fast too). But now we’re all seeing the virtues of frugality and demonizing gross consumerism. I’ve tightened my belt too. I just don’t look anymore. It’s like giving up chocolate or wine. After a while you only faintly and intellectually miss it like a fading memory of good times. Oh well.
I just wish that I had appreciated my shopping vice more when I practiced it years ago. At the time, the shopping sprees were all part of the whirlwind as we all floated along on a false sense of prosperity. But the Great Recession has sobered me up; I too have lowered my expectations, or my standards, as we all come to grips with the “new normal” economy.
So now instead of “going shopping”, I attempt to create things that I can sell. Actually, Kathleen and I play around with book ideas, story ideas or just about anything you can do with a computer and two minds. Who knows, maybe an idea will pan out and bring in some extra cash. If not, we’ll have some fun at being creative. Heck, it sure beats TV.
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