What Does the Year 2009 Hold for Us?

     I sit here listening to the news and reading the Internet and  I wonder how we will economically fare as individuals and as a nation in the future.  Retirement for some is in the future, just around the corner for others, and here for some and scary.  Not      only are  retirement incomes being effected but  incomes for thousands of  working  people are being changed.

I have a friend whose husband's retirement is gone, will it come back, maybe, but what do these people do in the mean time. I saw the oil is down in the low 40's per barrel.  This is not good for my husband's type of work.  The company he works for has shut down 5+ rigs and laid off all those men.

We have an intelligent new President,  one who seems determined to take us out of this quagmire but he lacks experience.  We have both houses of Congress in the hands of the same party, not good for checks and balances. I hope that each member of Congress can put aside his personal interest and all work together for the good of this country and the world.

We all know that our economy will return to"normal "one day in the future, but thousands of lives will have  been damaged.  I just read an article written by a young mother of 4 whose husband was laid off 3 weeks before Christmas. She said they had to rearrange their priorities and discovered everything wasn't about  money.

As jobs are lost and these employees are forced to find different levels of work, they have to re-appraise life goals, values and their sense of purpose.  For many they are finding less stressful jobs which can be a definite plus by providing a more healthy, enjoyable  life style.

Technology is changing our lives so fast that most of us can't  keep up with them.   They do, however , promise more convenience, but at the same time they are taking away our privacy.

Why am I on my soapbox?  I am not sure.  I guess because all we hear and read on the news is our economy, job layoffs and protecting our privacy.

Whatever our year ahead holds, we will face it with God's help,  a strong back, and the courage and intestinal fortitude of our founding fathers.

We pray God will keep you and guide you in 2009 and it will be a blessed year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM BARBARA  AND ROY TO ALL MY BLOGGER FRIENDS.