In a time of strife, we’re here to help each other

Seems like a lot of people are worried about the future, about their jobs, about money, about retirements, about medical care. Nothing is stable right now. If you watch the stock market and use it as your financial barometer, day-to-day the climate can go from one extreme to the other. Just like Wyoming’s weather.  

Have you cut back on spending? Dialed back on vacation plans? Or just pulled back from what used to be normal expenditures like eating out or shopping on Amazon? Some of us don’t have much choice in this.

I bought a desktop computer and laptop last month. I’m worried about tech items (especially the stuff with chips, motherboards and components coming from China, Asia or overseas). I’ve been meaning to make those purchases for a while and knew my tech was close to the end of their viability (blue screens of death, ultra-slow, no longer upgradable). So, I pulled the trigger while those devices were still available. I didn’t really want to lay out the cash, but I also didn’t want to wait and pay a ton more or, worse, not be able to get what I wanted because those items just aren’t available. So … tech items might be something you bust your wallet open for now, while you still can.

Clothing is another category of goods that could get scarce and costly. So, I’ve heard. Energy is up in the air, too. Everything from batteries to power on demand, whether it’s gasoline/diesel at the pump; electricity, gas or heating oil in your home; or propane for your RV … we just don’t know. And that makes things scary. Pushing a grocery cart into the checkout line is a pricey endeavor. Uncertainty and the volatility of our economy means not knowing, day-to-day, even minute-by-minute, what our costs will be for keeping roofs over our heads and food on our tables.

We’re all feeling the drain on our wallets and savings. We’re all hearing whispers about Medicaid and healthcare falling apart. And that could translate into incredible hardships for local hospitals and physicians’ clinics. Besides the frightening possibility of losing our access to medical care, those facilities are major employers for our region.

Nothing is safe. Nothing is knowable. Except for this: Prayer and hope. Here, we have an endless quantity if you want to avail yourselves of these comforts. Just bow your head, clasp your hands and speak to the power that reigns above all that’s corporeal. Human pain and strife don’t restrain us from asking our higher power to lend an ear. But, my guess, my expectation is essentially this: We got ourselves into this mess; we’re going to have to get ourselves out of it. It’s within our power.

It means working together. Forget the blame game. It’s pointless. Find ways to reach out and help your neighbors if you can. Make your own load lighter. Carpool. Walk or ride a bicycle. Invite people to share a meal with your family. Maybe cancel your kids’ cell phone subscriptions and give up your digital streaming subscriptions to tighten the ol’ belt. Get some board games and puzzles from the second-hand stores and start a family game/puzzle night or two. You may have to cut back and reprioritize budget expenditures.

Find ways to engage your humanity and plow through the rough patch ahead arm-in-arm with family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, even strangers. We’ll get through this. It won’t be painless, but if we can support those around us who are struggling, there’s reward in that. Food for the soul. We need that. Start today. Lord? Are you listening?