Looking forward to getting away

Discrimination has been part of our culture my entire life. Sadly it has continued mostly unchecked and therefore perpetuated throughout our history becoming so common it seemed invisible. Sometimes the arrests were particularly brutal and the resulting outrage gained the usual “15 minutes of fame” but then faded away like every incident before it. Sadly similar to gun violence I thought. The number of mass shootings has become such a regular part of the news cycle it doesn’t get top billing unless dozens lose their lives. Like the saying “Can’t see the forest for the trees,” apathy is acceptance regardless of the reason. As the BLM movement gains a life of its own, it has started many conversations; some positive, some not so much, but either way it continues to fuel needed dialogue. Having never faced this type of fear I struggled to find a personal experience to offer even the slightest similarity for reference. Couldn’t do it, couldn’t even come close. African-Americans are such an important part of the American experience so for this abuse to have been allowed to continue with so little push-back for so long is tragic.

I feel like I am standing still while the world around me spins out of control. On one side, the BLM raises my conscious level to the injustice in the world. The violence has settled down but having this many global protestors continually on the march is unsettling, at least for me. It has obviously struck a chord because the protests do not stop and police departments are making changes. I just hope it’s not too little too late. Economic chaos continues with no clear end in sight. Millions have gone for months without the real ability to pay their rent/mortgage and the “piper” is coming due. I had fully expected these levels of protests and expected them to be ugly when all the bills came due and there was no money to pay them. When people get hungry they will revolt and the looting will be our food supply. I hope people take this into account while discussing defunding police departments. We will need all the help possible to keep people from killing each other for a loaf of bread. I know the pandemic hit my pocketbook hard. Following that financial free-fall after we were told to stay home and businesses closed I lost my largest customer, so almost overnight my income was cut in half. And of course the “elephant in the room,” COVID-19. The infection rate continues climbing as does the death rate in a growing number of states, including Utah. Sheltering in place is not a viable option for most people, because if we do that again we will likely never recover as a civilized nation for generations. That said, the virus is real but fewer and fewer people are paying it heed, myself included. I found myself getting lax when we moved from orange to yellow. The news told us to stay vigilant but hey, we’re yellow so we’re good I thought. If there were more consistency in our group behavior I know I would be more comfortable venturing out to support local businesses. As it is, some are open, some only by appointment and some still “curb-side” so I shop Amazon. Maybe we should all save ourselves the trouble and just give Bezos the keys and be done.

I read that many in my age bracket are delaying retirement for obvious reasons. The market is more volatile than ever and unemployment is at record highs so if your head is above water why risk jumping off a cliff? Besides, historically the market will rebound and make you whole again right? Personally, I have spent all of my savings chasing dreams over the years so my stock portfolio is quite pitiful. Rather than rebuilding it, my goal over the last several years is purely to generate income for as long as possible. This current crossroad negates my concern of being under appreciated or whining about having fewer opportunities and smacks me hard right between the eyes. It is time to look at other options now.

It has been hard but we have held on to our Airstream; paying if off six months ago. We purchased it for our 25-year anniversary; both having good incomes it was not a big deal. We financed in for 15-years knowing we could claim the interest on our taxes made it an easy decision. Within 5-years our lives were upside down and the continued prospect of paying $750 a month on something sitting in storage wore heavy on our minds-and pocketbook. We considered selling many times; cringing at the fact that values had plummeted so much it was possible we might have to pay the difference between payoff and what we could actually sell it for. Somehow we hung on. Fast forward to 2020 and the RV industry is on fire! We couldn’t afford to buy it now but have the great satisfaction of possessing an icon; a 75-year Anniversary 28ft Airstream International with low miles. Last August I reserved campgrounds in Yellowstone a year in advance for a family vacation. The park fills quickly and if I wanted a better selection why not plan for next year. Who could image travel would change so dramatically or that the entire nation would go camping. I don’t think I have ever looked forward more to getting away.