Dad's been right all along!

I’m a “news junky” and that's especially true in an election year. And though it's important to stay informed of events and issues, too much news right now can cause even an incurable optimist like myself :) to curl up in a fetal position on the floor and scream “make it go away!” (Just for the record I have only done that once!) The current state of our economy and the bleak predictions by many experts about the short term future has caused me, as well as many of you I’m sure, to count your blessing, reevaluate priorities and remember the things in life that are really important.

Last week I heard a guy I really respect on the radio talking about the current economic meltdown and the upcoming election and how our great country may see things get much worse before they get better. He talked about "needs vs. wants" in today's society and he said a good way to separate the two is to pretend your shopping with your father. I had to laugh! My Dad is known for his frugality; in fact he is practically famous for it, and the thought of shopping with him made me cringe. Not because I don’t like being with my Dad but because he is like the financial Jiminy cricket. He will always give you good advice on a purchase no matter how badly you don’t want to hear it. And when you really want to buy something, you don’t want to hear that you don’t need it, well, because you want it! And to make things worse he is usually right! In today’s financial climate he is more right than ever.

As his adult kids, we like to tease Dad about being cheap and hording his money. We love to tell stories about the creative ways he saved money when we were young like how he would repair the old garden hose with a repair clamp each time it sprung a leak. Yes, there are repair clamps for Garden hoses! By the time I moved away from home that old hose had been repaired so many times it was only 6 feet long and looked more like a giant mutated caterpillar with measles, than a hose. In fact a friend of the family once saw it in the driveway and asked, “What the heck is that? When my parents sold their home of 35 plus years and we were cleaning the property we finally threw the old hose in the dumpster and I think I saw a tear in Dads eye.

My generation has experienced relative prosperity so economic history lessons from the past are important. I realize Dads philosophy on finance comes from his Parents and upbringing. My Grandparents generation experienced true hard times and the lessons they were forced to learn were passed down to my parents and then to me. But with each generation the lessons were diluted by what seemed like unending prosperity. Dad raised a family of five on a schoolteacher’s salary and a little firewood biz on the side and despite my poking fun at him now, as a kid we never went without. His waste not, make your own, grow your own, make due with what you have, stay out of debt, save for a rainy day attitude is now becoming more relevant, if not necessary, for the times we live. Who would have thought? (Besides of course Prophets and Apostles who have been telling us this for years!) Doesn't it seem ironic that the answer to today’s problems may be printed on the money its self? “In God We Trust”. Nobody knows for sure just how bad things are going to get but don't be surprised if you see me in the garden section of Home Depot pricing hose repair clamps.

As a family we are considering ways to simplify and cut out the proverbial fat from our lives and in my case the literal fat as well. I will admit I still have cable TV and we are still doing our part to help Rubio’s Fresh Mexican grill survive this economic slow down, but even those luxuries may have to go soon. This does not make life worse; in fact it may get better. We will make fewer trips to the lake and may even sell the boat but as a family there is still plenty we can do. A five dallar pizza and trip to the local park goes a long way with my kids. We can jump on the trampoline, dance to CMT in the living room or play kickball in the street, or just sit around the dinner table and make fun of the politicians we despise. Its all good! I may even start having virtual vacations. We can all sit in the boat in the garage and turn on the radio and a fan and pretend we are on the lake! Amber may not go for that but my point is that I am ready to let go of the "wants" and focus on the "already haves" in life. Isn't that the secret to true happiness anyway?

Amber’s last post mentioned Faith, Family, and Friends. After seeing these words on a sign at the LDS book store one of our good friends put it best, “that’s F’n awesome!” We have to ask ourselves in times like these or at any time, does anything else really matter? I have learned very little in my life but there is one thing I know for sure, and that is, the quality and fullness of my life is directly related to the quality of my relationships, period. Not money or things or even the thought of owning a sweet 2008 350hp Mastercaft wakeboard boat that seats 12 and has a killer stereo with cherry red graphics, 20 cup holders and…....anyway, you get the point. That stuff doesn’t matter. When my relationship with God, my wife and kids, and extended family is good, I could not be happier. And those who know me well, know how much I value my friendships, but I will save that post for another day.

All we can do today is express gratitude daily, laugh at life when ever possible (my favorite) and hope we can learn as much as possible from today’s life lessons as to be able to share them with our Children and Grandchildren.