Let them eat cake!

Last week I found myself in Cissi’s Wine Bar on South Congress.

If you know me, you might be thinking that I’m not really the wine bar type. It’s true, and I think it was the first time I’d ever been in one. However, they were having a special event which involved free desserts, and that is my vice. Belgian Ale Doughnuts are awesome, especially when dipped in caramel sauce.

I found myself thinking about the economy. The awkward fact is that while things are bad, and a lot of people are in financial difficulty, we are doing OK. So long as my job remains stable, we don’t really have any immediate problems. Sure, the 401(k) has taken quite a hit, but I’m not near retirement age, so I figure it’ll recover.

Obviously, I want to do my bit to keep everyone else afloat. I feel like I should patronize local businesses more, eat out more, buy stuff. But at the same time, I don’t really need any more stuff right now, I’m trying to keep my weight under control, and my fiscal conservatism makes me want to hoard cash in case the worst happens and I’m unemployed for months.

So I’m trying to find the middle ground. So far, that has meant acting as if the recession isn’t happening. If I can manage it for long enough, perhaps I’ll be ready for a career in politics ?