Economy Economy Economy

For the past year or so, it's been nothing but news about the struggling economy, the "sputtering" economy, the "weak" economy. Yes, I, along with many, have tired of this same old story. Change is hard.

One thing that I have not heard much in the news is that how years of outsourcing jobs, indeed, entire industries, has been tearing away at the foundation of the American economic machine.

Combine that with environmentally sound green initiatives, which lead to less consumption and often consumption of different types of products, and this can reduce overall demand for all types of products and services.

Further to that, I think family and faith have become increasingly important to people which leads to workers requesting more time-off, part-time schedules, or work sabbaticals and mini-retirements. In order to successfully run a household with less income, less consumption is a key. Lowering household expenses is a natural result.

Therefore, the economic downturn may be just what this country needs. Perhaps we can re-invent ourselves into a culture that values our neighbor's craftsmanship, earth-friendly ways of living, and better work-life balance.