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10/14/2008: "#128:Thanks, Financial Crisis of 2008"

Music: Talkdemonic
Mood: guardedly optimistic

The news over the past month has been oversaturated with stories about how horrible this financial crisis of 2008 that has yet to be given a name is and how it will affect all of our lives for years to come. In the midst of all this gloom, I would like to share a positive experience that has come about for me as a result of it.

All my life I have neglected to learn about economics. This is in marked contrast to the rest of my life where I try to learn about everything I can to the point of often trying to take in too much information at once. Economics wasn't something I had any interest in or inclination to learn about as I thought it didn't concern me nor did I want it concern me. I figured that I always pay my bills and try to keep my spending somewhat under control so what else did I need to know? When the confluence of what seemed like unrelated financial events turned into the current financial crisis, I found myself unprepared to interpret what had happened. That is not to say I could not understand what had happened or what it seems to mean, but I lacked the specialized knowledge to get a true grasp of things.

It has become quite clear to me that whether I choose to ignore it or not, the financial crisis of 2008 will affect me. I can choose to continue to be borne about by the financial winds or I can take the time to read up on economics and economic history. It is simply a matter of choosing to take control and responsibility for another aspect of my life that I have until now willfully ignored. While I will probably not become Warren Buffett overnight, I can certainly take the reins of my finances like I have with my health and my writing career and go forth into the future in a direction that I want to go.