Saturday, February 21, 2009

What are you gonna do, huh?

So you’re getting sick because you’re losing all your money and they just told you at work that there would be more layoffs in the next few months. From the glory days of 2005 to the darkest days of 2009, this all sucks so much, doesn’t it?

Remember all that money you tried to save to pay for your kid’s first year of college? Well, it’s looking more like your gonna need that dough to pay the mortgage instead.

Eh, what are you gonna do, huh?
Jump of the Brooklyn Bridge?

Can you say KingsBoro?
I can, and it’s right here in Brooklyn too.

So you may not end up as well off as you thought you would, well neither is the next guy. And let me tell you I grew up on Social Security when my daddy died when I was seven. Just living in an attic while my mom waited for the check to come every month.
Yeah, United States Treasury, that was all I knew until I was
eighteen years old.

So if you have to downsize one day, I’m still here with you.
Still knowing what it’s like to live in an apartment rather
than a big house.

Eh, what are you gonna do, huh?
Jump of the Verrazano Bridge?

Can you say “apartment” along with me?
I can, and there’s no need to impress anyone either.
That’s because they’re all the same size.

So you just can’t sleep at night worrying about every thing, and how you’re going to pay for it. Your job, your house, your kid’s tuition? It all seems so awful compare to just a year ago doesn’t it? Well, don’t worry; because we’re all here with you, all in the same boat watching the same water get higher and higher every day. Maybe telling a joke or two, and remembering about the days we all grew up on the block.

Oh, come on it's not that bad, and you know your
parents certainly had it worse than you.
And they survived, right?

Remember the famlies on our block with eight
or ten kids? One working blue collar Dad and
just one bathroom in the apartment?

How about Nunzio and his family living
in a small apartment just like me?

The Briar's too, all eight kids and a mom
and dad living in an attic with five rooms.

It really makes you wonder doesn't it?
How did they all manage to be so happy
all the time with so little.

Well, thats because their "so little" was
actually more than we can ever have today.

And maybe we all have just too damn much.
Yeah, maybe thats it.

Ron Lopez

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have to agree. This kind of correction or reality check has to come every time things get too stupid. It happened to the Romans, and it happened here in '29 and '87 to name a few. I have this conversation with my kids at least twice a week, even before things hit the shitter, I tell them how much shit do you need, how many times are you gonna change your clothes today? I tell them about growing up in Bkln in the '70's. Then my mother tells me what it was like growing up in the depression, shit we had it good, at least we had hot water and electricity. Like everything else, this too shall pass, and in 5 to ten years it'll happen again, mabee thell finish all those half built buildings over by the stables by then! Will

Anonymous said...

testify brother!

Anonymous said...

I agree as well - we don't need all the crap we buy....but that's not the whole problem - those of us in our 50s saved so that we could actually retire and not look forward to working in WalMart at age 82 just to make ends meet. Then all of our retirement money is sucked into that deep hole called the stock market...and while we know (hope?) it will again rebound, this time it is darker and deeper than anytime since the 30's...and we may not have enough time to see it rebound, before it all goes away. We can save more now...and put it where? Even the freakin' banks are going under.

Anonymous said...

It gets worse....what about our kids? what are they going to do when they hopefully bag a job...and try and save for retirement...401k,IRA (lol) where is the growth...I weep for our young people...not that I'm old (48) but at least I had the better part of my younger years being gainfully employed and had the chance to see my retirement accounts grow. It will be a long time before that happens again and the repercussions will be dramatic...trust me. (md)