tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post6934143532849507517..comments2011-11-01T20:30:12.455-07:00GIRL'S GONE CHILDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130764109593048451noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-11128159543075307462009-02-18T16:13:00.000-08:002009-02-18T16:13:00.000-08:00Your Trader Joe's guy reminds me of an 86 year old woman who stands on the corner of busy intersection near where I pick up my son from daycare every day, waiting for donations. I know that she's 86 because that's what her cardboard sign says, the one that she holds in all weather, all day stating that she is sorry to have to ask for help, but it's her last chance. She's tiny and frail and white haired and it just kills me every time I see her.<BR/><BR/>My little family has yet to be significantly affected by the economy here in Portland, but it feels like we're just waiting for it to happen. My boyfriend is a delivery driver and warehouse worker for the auto industry, so every time GM makes a decision it affects us. I work for a small business that supplies products to other small businesses-- which are going out of business with increased rapidity. Insurance has gone up, co-pays have gone up, utilities have gone up... Nothing unusual of course, everyone has these things, but the waiting sucks. We're paycheck to paycheck as it is, so. Anyway, depressing. Ugh.<BR/><BR/>That said, I love reading this blog. At least it isn't depressing.summertimenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-31252387093327404302009-02-17T21:52:00.000-08:002009-02-17T21:52:00.000-08:00.... thank you.<BR/><BR/><BR/>i just wish that we could find a little hope.Lorainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13103601284786123053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-79844030513722828942009-02-16T19:15:00.000-08:002009-02-16T19:15:00.000-08:00Hi Rebecca, <BR/><BR/>I've never commented on your blog but I've been following you ever since I saw you do a momversation with Heather, dooce.com, a few months ago. <BR/><BR/>I thought this post was especially touching and you make me wish I would try harder to paint others POV's as beautifully as you. <BR/><BR/>It's so sad to hear about these types of stories but it's something that needs to be heard. <BR/><BR/>Best wishes, <BR/><BR/>Melaniemelanie lucillehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10970580563853552047noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-73090163502903077502009-02-16T19:04:00.000-08:002009-02-16T19:04:00.000-08:00Your most recently blog, "Portraits of Economy, ROCKS". Thank YOU for starting this forum...for allowing those who are struggling....and giving them A VOICE. We need(ed) an avenue to express frustrations, dreams gone sore, and more importantly to THE TRUTH and how the ECONOMY is effecting us! Again Thank You!Pyrbluehttp://betweenthewords.squarespace.com/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-74506489815360108492009-02-16T16:06:00.000-08:002009-02-16T16:06:00.000-08:00My mom has said the exact same thing since the economy started crashing - that she is grateful that we've never had much to lose. I never thought I would be grateful to grow up with less than most, but seeing how having more has bitten so many in the ass has made me feel so much less... jealous.Aishahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03873706629884225849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-26999393618689637682009-02-16T11:44:00.000-08:002009-02-16T11:44:00.000-08:00It's not right, this economic crisis, but it's happening again as it has before. I think one of the problems is that by the time the next one comes around, our babies will be grown-ups and will not remember this, and may fall into the same economic trap.<BR/><BR/>In New Zealand, we're waiting for the full force to hit. It's like watching a very slow tsunami, taking one country at a time until it finally hits us. I think we've started to get it, with Shell announcing it's pulling out of NZ and numerous companies starting their massive lay offs.<BR/><BR/>I'm a contractor, and just in the process of negotiating my next 12 month contract. I'm bloody lucky to have the relative comfort of 12 months of income, many don't.Beahttp://bea.typepad.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-24235675829736016902009-02-16T10:39:00.000-08:002009-02-16T10:39:00.000-08:00I just wrote a post about how the senior citizens are being treated even more poorly than usual with the economy in the crapper. You can read it here:<BR/>http://www.recommendeddailydose.com/?p=736<BR/>My husband and I are doing all right with everything, although I am facing the prospect of losing my job as a teacher. I am not as bad off as some because I have other prospects that I can turn to. Want to talk about a one Masters degree ticket...or even Bachelors? When you earn your degrees in education, there is really not much else you can do with those!Katehttp://www.recommendeddailydose.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-22392900205398585472009-02-16T08:51:00.000-08:002009-02-16T08:51:00.000-08:00Great post.<BR/><BR/>Poor guy at Traders. Shame. <BR/>It's nice to see that some others aren't living beyond their means. We live in Austin which is quite expensive. We own a two bedroom home (have twins). I drive a paid for 99 Jetta. Hubby has 03 Golf. No bling here. No malls for us. But we do have fun on the weekends with the kids. We eat out sometimes. Have 401k, investments, insurance, retirement, kids college savings and ONE credit card. I also feel that we haven't been affected either. I hope it stays this way too.<BR/>-Shannon in AustinShannon and Careyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12502975676135226121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-51434803106984369802009-02-16T06:57:00.000-08:002009-02-16T06:57:00.000-08:00I'd take this more seriously if you didn't have the whole Drooling Closet thing going on. If you're getting donations for those clothes and part of the Drooling Closet is that sort of income, I'd understand, but it just looks really frivolous to have your months old daughter playing fashionista in a nearly completely different outfit 18 days running.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-79511943481737528632009-02-15T20:10:00.000-08:002009-02-15T20:10:00.000-08:00I feel for the 70 year old man asking for a job application. My mother works for a large Fortune 500 company that employs a lot of people in construction and mining. It's a good company and many of the people in those positions have worked there their entire lives. Like everyone, they've had to cut back and they cut production recently at the quarry near her office, which necessitated a number of temporary lay offs. One of the men who works there is in his forties and has worked at that quarry for over 20 years. When they told him he had to be laid off, he cried. He's a very masculine, blue collar worker, but he'd never been laid off before. They'll hopefully be able to rehire him soon, but stories like those make me hope and pray that we all can come out of this thing in one piece. <BR/><BR/>Love your blog by the way. You have beautiful children.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-81898205816484955312009-02-15T12:59:00.000-08:002009-02-15T12:59:00.000-08:00Not many car chases here in Texas...but a good cow tippin' or tractor haulin' always make the news. lol Just kidding.<BR/><BR/>The 10 Years Younger shows looks neat. I love make over shows.Rheahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11027061380778030388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-49195752576311314402009-02-15T10:25:00.000-08:002009-02-15T10:25:00.000-08:00My husband is a financial planner and we see things daily. Fathers killing themselves because they feel they cannot continue to support their families in the way they are USED TO. We've experienced this twice in the past 6 weeks alone.<BR/><BR/>I think our sense of entitlement is seriously out of control. Not only our country but the world. More and more people are raising their children up to believe that they are nothing if they don't have the best of the best and even better, if they are of the celebrity caliber. It's really sad. There will always be someone with more: more money, more cars, more clothes. Our problems has come in thinking that everyone must have the same...and if you have more that you worked for, well you need to share. It's wrong.<BR/><BR/>I own a business that only does well if the second-home market does well so my business is essentially shut down at this point. But with my husband doing financial planning I get to see him every day help people prepare for what's coming...by not relying on the government and taking control of their money. We are very concerned things are just going to get worse because of the mentality of the people and our governments willingness to take more control. I am scared for my children's future.Mirindahttp://www.mirindadawe.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-45498962762223047942009-02-15T09:52:00.000-08:002009-02-15T09:52:00.000-08:00Wow both of those stories are truly scary...knowing that so many people are affected scares me but at the same time i have hope that everything will get better. <BR/><BR/>I'm affected just by looking for a job everyday and competing with at least 30 others that day.<BR/><BR/>on a lighter note i love love your blog. i had been looking for a mommy blog for a while now and found you through momversation.Rock Ithttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05106395127733499215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-17759883941387810542009-02-14T10:58:00.000-08:002009-02-14T10:58:00.000-08:00Thanks Bec. Great reminder that there is plenty of heartbreak to go around, and that we should feel good about what we've got. Many of us have so very much, all things considered.mothergoosemousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05386446012443269817noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-42932083062069257062009-02-14T06:21:00.000-08:002009-02-14T06:21:00.000-08:00My husband and I have been feeling the same way. We work the kind of jobs that don't get bombed by the recession, we rent, and have no investments or 401(k)s to worry about. We've been repeatedly mentioning that for once we're lucky - we're the kind of people a recession doesn't affect too badly.Katehttp://www.sillylittlegirl.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-43132663679570811362009-02-14T00:38:00.000-08:002009-02-14T00:38:00.000-08:00I am... beyond words. <BR/><BR/>The first story had me in tears because he was driven that point. We can all be driven to that point when it comes to being providers or just someone who felt like the problem was on their shoulder and THEY had to figure out how to make it right. I've been there.<BR/><BR/>I'd like to thank you for slapping me out of my doldrums of the "I don't have what I want"s. UGH! Seriously, I have not much to complain about as I have my husband, we have jobs, and we have a roof over our heads. Who cares if it's rented! Who cares if we didn't cash-in and where when we should have! Thank you! Seriously... thank you!<BR/><BR/>Also, the TJ's guy made me want to cry too, but when you told me what the assistant manager looked like/said, I can guarantee you that they'll try to see if he can fit in. I used to work for TJ's and when, as a manager, I'd get someone that looked like they at least could use a hand, I'd run them through the hiring process to see if there was anyplace for them on the team. Seriously. I can tell you they at least gave him a chance and tried to see if there was anywhere they could put him.<BR/><BR/>Again, thank you! This story was... beyond awesome.Cecihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01017742688414006937noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-24440847802833102802009-02-13T21:43:00.000-08:002009-02-13T21:43:00.000-08:00Trader Joe's guy is so depressing! It's been weird seeing this whole crisis from the outside. I'm mostly unaffected living in Canada and with a husband who has a secure job. But then I hear from my best friend in Florida who is seriously concerned about losing his job. It's frightening.courtneyhttp://fiveseconddanceparty.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-26734355303175171972009-02-13T20:47:00.000-08:002009-02-13T20:47:00.000-08:00The third example makes me want to cry.Ambernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-6281765153561372642009-02-13T20:11:00.000-08:002009-02-13T20:11:00.000-08:00I'm near tears right now. That man at TJ's could almost be my dad. He retired 2 years ago after 40+ years in the grocery industry. <BR/><BR/>Yesterday he had an interview for a job in the grocery industry.Baby in Broadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00084772004964983968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-43548276739628429252009-02-13T19:28:00.000-08:002009-02-13T19:28:00.000-08:00Thank you! <BR/><BR/> I just emailed you my story. I mentioned in my email, as well as I will here too, that I am happy and grateful you are doing this with Portraits of an Economy. My family has also been effected by the bad times, and it helps to hear the other stories out there. To know that we are not alone and that its happening all over the world, helps you hold things together a little easier.<BR/><BR/>Thank you again<BR/>TashaTashahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06786633339092945973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-67268786757297765002009-02-13T18:06:00.000-08:002009-02-13T18:06:00.000-08:00That poor man :( that is so deeply terribly sad! <BR/><BR/>I know what you mean, we've been broke for so long I'm used to it. We still stress about it though. <BR/><BR/>But I believe the economy must go through ups and downs, and unfortunately sometimes those downs seem really, well down.Sarcasticahttp://www.sarcastica.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-549218998200976892009-02-13T17:13:00.000-08:002009-02-13T17:13:00.000-08:00hi rebecca- i have been enjoying your blog for a few months now and really respect your insight into motherhood. it is refreshing to read something like this post though, where you add perspective to a much broader issue that is paralyzing so many individuals and families now. your attention to detail and true sincerity is felt through your writing and it's pretty awesome. i think this is one of my favorite posts that i've read in a while.nichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03049667386059818972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-15573434653512953492009-02-13T16:30:00.000-08:002009-02-13T16:30:00.000-08:00GIRL'S GONE CHILD said...<BR/>Wow, Lalapaloo. Thank you so much for sharing. I can't even imagine...<BR/><BR/>I also would like to add that our "broke" is relative to where we live, and the cost of living here which is insane. Even with the fall in home values, to buy in our neighborhood we would still need 1.3 million and thats just for a three-bedroom. It's never even been an option in my mind to buy. I always figured we'd rent forever. Ha!<BR/><BR/>Our monthly overhead is huge (Archer's preschool alone is $1,000 a month and our health insurance is so insane I don't even want to tell you because it depresses me.)<BR/><BR/>I didn't want to come off ungrateful for what income we have because we do make a decent living. It's just that life here is insane expensive. It's the trade-off, I know and we're not going anywhere because this is where the entertainment industry lives and that's Hal's trade but Oy to the vey, man.GIRL'S GONE CHILDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130764109593048451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-56872790135256779282009-02-13T16:20:00.000-08:002009-02-13T16:20:00.000-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.GIRL'S GONE CHILDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07130764109593048451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18751784.post-20980915883116362932009-02-13T15:48:00.000-08:002009-02-13T15:48:00.000-08:00Hi GCC, I have been reading your blog for a while but this is the first time that I comment.<BR/>I can assure you that the economy is not just a US situation, right now I live in Canada and things are bad here, but I am originally from Haiti and things are worse there.. I went to Haiti with my daughter for her to meet her great grandmother last april (I was also pregnant with my second child); as I got there I was stuck in the airport for hours after I had landed because there was a prostest against "lavi che" which can be translated to "life being to expensive".. The Canadian Ambassy suggested that all of us returned to Canada, I refused.The people were so very angry there and could not understand how this economic crisis even started . During my stay there I understood that the US provides to Haiti, because Haiti imports most of its goods from the US, Canada and China (rice,grains and even package meats).. so imagine if there is no work in the US, there is no food in Haiti. I heard of families subsiting on a dough made not with flour but with dirt.<BR/>THanks for letting me share.Lalapoohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07879409283839201614noreply@blogger.com