Here we are on March 25, 2012 and the first "normal" thing to happen in over 2 years just occurred in Orlando, Florida. Tiger Woods won a PGA Golf Tournament. Is it just me or does this seem like a sign that things are headed back towards some semblance of normalcy?
The unemployment numbers were good this week, ObamaCare is being challenged in the U.S. Supreme Court, Spring has arrived, the NCAA Final Four includes Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State and Kansas, Spring Training for Major League Baseball is in full swing, the Leafs are on the verge of missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Republicans have formed a circular firing squad during the Primaries and its raining, cold & snowing in Southern California.
Then again after the last number of years what is normal? Nevertheless, Tiger winning a golf tournament does remind us that there was once a day when our houses were worth more than what was owed against them, people were gainfully employed in their chosen profession, gas prices were under $2.00 (or even $3.00 or even yet under $4.00), kids getting an education was the right thing to do, tuitions were affordable, students could graduate in 4 years & were taught by qualified professors, businesses could operate efficiently with proper financing, Wall Street Bankers were respected and hadn't been exposed as the greedy, immoral, croney capitalists that they really are; and, the weather followed a normal seasonal rotation - cool & fresh in the Spring, warm in the Summer, crisp in the Fall and cold in the Winter.
Today the temperature in Oceanside will struggle to stay in the 50's whereas in places like Minnesota and Canada it is well into the 80's. There is snow in California and sunbathers in Ontario, Canada.
Only 40% of this year's U.S. Law School graduates will be able to land a position in the legal profession. Even those lucky enough to find a position in the legal field with their $250,000 student loan debt will not be paid anything close to what prior graduates received.
Who would have thought that the "Change" promised by President Obama 4 years ago would have meant such a change for the worse. Yet, he remains popular and the favorite to win this November's election despite the almost 9% unemployment rate (and the real rate of under & unemployment over 15%). From his seat in the Oval Office he has presided over the worst economic environment since the Great Depression and it will take generations before full recovery can be anticipated.
Does the new "normal" mean unending involvement in foreign conflicts such as Afghanistan & Iraq? Does it include country's such as Greece going bankrupt on a rotating basis. How long before California follows suit - this State has already cut social services to the bone, reduced education to a mere shadow of itself, increased fees to unimaginable amounts and watched a series of municipalities go into receivership & bankruptcy.
However, today we see the first sign of a turnaround, a glimpse of the way life used to be and could be one day again. Tiger Woods won a PGA Golf Championship! Let's celebrate this reminder of what it used to be like living in a democratic western culture, in an economy that was the envy of the world, where there was hope & optimism that things will be better in the future.
