What Goes Up Must Come Down: Keeping It Together In A World Where Happiness And Money Are Intertwined
Written by Elaine Wilson, Posted on , in Section Relationships That Matter
I remember the building boom in my state. It doesn’t seem all that long ago. I remember seeing the construction everywhere—roads, houses, businesses, hospitals. Work was everywhere, and even my little family was planning to make the move to a bigger city, to take advantage of its seemingly endless possibilities.
Then, suddenly and out of nowhere—at least to me—everything plummeted. The market, jobs, opportunity—it all seemed swallowed up into the vast plots of land that were still waiting to be developed. Neighborhoods were actually half-finished, as a family’s dreams left with the money.
Despair in the Country
Happiness and the economy declined, as more and more American citizens found themselves without jobs and even without homes. Life seemed more bleak for many—I know it did for me. I had put great stock in my own dreams of becoming more affluent, more successful. I had looked forward to moving from our small town, and to experiencing a new way of life.
As the economy dipped to frighteningly low levels, depression rose. Even those who weren’t directly affected, or less affected, felt the pain of the rest of American life falling around them. The question, “What can we do to change this?” is a loaded one, as there is nothing simplistic about getting an economy back. While treating personal depression in numerous ways can help, the fact remains that the situation that made the person despair in the first place is more than likely still there.
It is impossible to say that one clear thing can fix the economy; and, sadly, there will be masses of people who will remain in their dark thoughts as a result. It hardly seems fair that the mental health of so many citizens hinges on the prosperity of the American market, but it is a reality we cannot ignore.
Many opinions have been given over the last few years as to just how we can gain back our profitable economy, but there is no way to guarantee any of it. The best thing that most of us can do is continue to work and hope and persevere.
