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| Friday, May 15, 2009 |
| I can't even break my own dreams because they're being broken for me |
 The NPR story Recession Diary: The Long And Winding Road Home provides us with an update on Caitlin Shetterly and Daniel Davis who had to abandon their dream of artistic work that could pay the bills in Los Angeles and move back to their native Maine and move home to live with Mom. We still aren't making anywhere nearly enough money to get by. But after a couple of weeks, we're settling in to the rhythms of family. One evening, while the spring peepers made their crazy music outside, my mother, Susan, told me how glad she is to have us.
"The nice thing about it is that you guys are first of all tolerant, and you make wonderful dinners and wash the dishes very well, and it's fun to clean up with you on Saturday, which I really don't think I could have done alone this year," she said. "So for me, it's a treasure and, um, it makes me think about the old way of doing things, when there were multigenerational families, and for the small amount of time that we have together, it makes me realize the richness of that." To read more about how their dream turned sour - A Man, Woman, Baby And An Empty Bank AccountLabels: Money Stories |
| posted by Boston Gal @ 11:07 PM *
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| 2 Comments: |
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I also heard this story on the radio. It seems like the parents have a better perspective on this than the young couple. They understand that this is a temporary situation and that, in the long run, this young couple is going to be ok.
This recession must be tough for young people who have known nothing but good times. I was a child during the recession of the 70's and 80's but I do remember my Dad facing periods of unemployment and some lean times for my family. I'm concerned about this recession but I was never under an illusion that the economy is always up up up.
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Hi Susan,
I think this couple is really mourning the loss of their ideal financial future - one where the two of them could both work as artists and still make ends meet. I see their initial move to California from Maine as their last gasp chase after that dream. Getting pregnant and having a baby pretty much put a nail in the coffin of that dream, but it was the lousy economy that finally dug the six feet and buried that dream once and for all.
One of them has to get a steady paycheck with benefits - that is a non negotiable once you have a baby. Given their current state of zero savings and basic homelessness (and likely debt), they both need to earn something and likely continue living with family who can both give them a roof for free and help with child care.
Eventually they will be fine - but someone has to give up the dream and toil in reality and it looks like the husband realizes it is him - given his quote which is the title of the post.
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I also heard this story on the radio. It seems like the parents have a better perspective on this than the young couple. They understand that this is a temporary situation and that, in the long run, this young couple is going to be ok.
This recession must be tough for young people who have known nothing but good times. I was a child during the recession of the 70's and 80's but I do remember my Dad facing periods of unemployment and some lean times for my family. I'm concerned about this recession but I was never under an illusion that the economy is always up up up.