Thursday, April 16, 2009

Food for Thought AND a Personal Story

I heard on the radio this morning that JP Morgan Chase is going to post a profit for the last quarter of 2.1 billion and that they and Goldman Sachs want to repay the TARP money given to them (apparently it’s more complicated than “hey, here’s your money back”). Good news I think. Also, the number of people applying for unemployment compensation dropped. Could be that there is a light, I hope so and I know you all do too.

I’m wondering if anyone has been working on any strategies or if you have an idea that could make your company stronger the next time this happens, and it will happen again people, it always does. My dad sold investments for a living as did his brother, his dad and his grandfather. He and my mom are retired now and they live off of their investments. He is the only person I know who HAS NEVER MENTIONED the economic crisis unless someone else brings it up. When someone else does mention it, he says the most maddening things like “what goes up must come down,” and “buy low, sell high,” and “what do you want to know honey?” Uncommunicative though he is, bottom line is this, HE DOESN’T CARE, HE PLANNED FOR THIS. His father weathered the depression in that business, my dad weathered every other economic downturn of the last century in that business. With the greatest of equanimity he will tell you that it will come back, that it always has and it always will.

It’s so hard, it’s hard getting to the next show never mind planning for the next economic crisis, but I hope I come out of this having learned something about what I do and I hope we all do. Here’s to things possibly? maybe? looking up soon…

Deb

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