When the going gets rough, we the people are asked to get smarter. These days, things are hard and everybody is trying to sell something, but those of us who are expected to buy have difficulty in obtaining the money to purchase goods or services.
The cost of living generally has gone up, but wages are either slashed or unable to be obtained — and jobs have become more scarce.
Before the advent of this worldwide pandemic, we all adopted a way of life that offered us a lot of opportunity to enrich our lives. We had become a consuming society and we religiously relied on our earning power to get by. We invested in areas that were encouraged by the state to progress financially. We invested in transportation, wine and dine, goods geared towards the Tourist trade and offered entertainment as a means of relaxation.
Other services that needed mass acceptance and quick service, such as fast foods, also became a realistic way to make ends meet. But now, for continual survival, some of these areas have become difficult to maintain or make a living from. We are confronted with the harsh reality of not having the time or internal clientele to make our investment feasible.
The new means and changes that we have to make are becoming challenging, but borrowing is not always a good option, considering we have to ensure repayment.
We have no idea how long this new episode will last, or if we will ever return to normalcy. We need and do try our best to deal with our day-to-day expenses, such as feeding ourselves, paying our utilities, dealing with other commitments (like insurance policies and house and transportation maintenance….) We have to say goodbye to holidaying, and we need to deal with health and educational issues.
The whole situation has become burdensome. Solutions seem far-fetched and the state can only do so much. Praying sometimes offers consolation and luck sometimes favours the brave.
I see the stress and feel the pain, while also going through hell to keep up with the situation.
And even though I know that one ought not to give up and throw-in the towel regardless of the challenges, the truth be told, the situation is still bleak. I cannot see the Brighter Tomorrow. My hopes are neither here nor there and the consequences frighten me.
So, I hope that what I think is just an optical illusion, but if I am right, woe be to us all. Some people think that there is still time to make some adjustments, or redirect our priorities, but the forces of life have forced things to turn against us.
Tomorrow is mind-boggling, answers are very uncertain and theories do not always comfort or add-up. Who survives the times will surely have a story to tell, because this era in our lives is, to my mind, quite an experience to live through…