I am a “half-empty” guy. I know this. I think I get it from my dad. I see the problems that others may not see, or may not want to talk about. I understand that I can be an extremely large buzz kill. My attitude tends to be even more amplified next to my awesome church-planting partner, Geoff Safford. Geoff is actually a 3/4 full person. That is, someone who sees the potential of a half-full glass of liquid. I love that about him.
One thing about me, you will usually know where you stand in my book. I tend to get things out there quick as to where I disagree. I don’t use emails and blog post comments to flex muscles that I would never use in a face to face. I tend to have an “online nice” that I use instead of puffing up. I prefer to disagree in person.
All this is prescript to a thought that I am having about the future. Money is going to be tight in the months, and possibly the years, to come. With unemployment rates rising, with the future securities of others in flux, I predict a higher propensity toward crime and all around bad behavior from those we may not normally see it from. A friend of mine told me today that the only industry in Europe that is not suffering from the financial crisis there is The Mob. It is actually growing. How he knows this is beyond me, but for my blog purposes, I believe him. I have seen that lottery ticket sales have not declined since the financial problems. If anything, they have gone up. This is because people will look to other means to meet their needs. The question is will they defer to a life of crime?
I am not saying that people will become mobsters. But, will drive-offs increase at gas stations? Will the meat department at the local grocery need to have security guards. I witnessed first hand a shop lifting occurrence of video games form the local Block Buster. It was actually a “two-man job” that had a subplot. Americans are not good with doing without, so how will they meet their “needs” with less to meet them with?
All this has got me wondering “Am I prepared?” Am I ready to take the precautions I need. Gun sales are up. That is a fact. I know someone who bought one this weekend. He is “preparing” himself. I know people who lock things up like never before. People are hoarding. Food. Cash. They are “preparing” themselves. I even know of someone who has bought, or is in the process of buying a bunker. It is actually a metal pig pen that you bury in the ground then pour concrete all over the top, securing yourself from some bad stuff. He is “preparing” himself.
Based on this stuff, I am not prepared. I am caring no cash. I rarely lock the doors of my Jeep even with my MacBook in it. Karla and I go to the grocery store 3-4 times a week. I think we have a Costco sized peanut butter in the pantry, but that is about it. Am I in trouble?
I don’t want to own a gun. I don’t want to worry about locked doors. I don’t want to look over my shoulder, or worry about what “The Man” will do to me. But, maybe, I don’t have much choice. Only time will tell. I am not prepared to buy gold quite yet, but I wonder. Even as I was writing this post I know of someone whose wallet was just stolen from their purse. I better figure this out quick.
