Personal Survey

[don]

As this second Great Depression grinds on, have the 'tulips experienced, as I have, social relations of some standing feeling the strain?

One couple, friends for decades now, old enough to be our parents, have slipped into "Ha ha, we're one-percenters" mode from time to time. I sincerely feel everyone should take their position in our society as their primary interest - no problem with that. They, however, don't cross the line to our position's considerations. Not in a supporting role - I wouldn't expect that - but rather in a dismissive, taunting at times, attitude.

This sort of thing never happened before.

As the 2nd GD grinds on, relationships, especially those that are from different strata of our society, fray.

Have you experienced something like this?

[jiimbergin]

Re: Personal Survey

No, I have not. I have friends in all levels of the economy. More in the upper 5% than elsewhere, but I have not run into what you are describing. Now the vast majority of my friends are strong Christians and that, I am sure, plays a role.

[charliebrown]

Re: Personal Survey

I don't know if I know any one percenters, There is one guy in my church that I swear is Bruce Wayne, He Just jets off in the middle of the week to play golf, or watch a car race or something else fantastic. We never talk about finances or jobs. We talk about Kids, golf, and cooking. I have not seen this phenomena that you mention yet. How sad to treat others differently because they have more or less. One's possessions are meaningless. The pursuit of wealth for wealth's sake is like chasing the wind. Have pity on the person you mention.


Eccl 5. (This book is written by a very wise man, searching for the meaning of life. I recommend reading it even if you are not a theist).
Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. Even the king milks the land for his own profit!Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep. There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. And this, too, is a very serious problem. People who leave this world no better off than when they came, all their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry. Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.

P.S. I did change the words a bit, they are bolded. I did study theology ... excuse exegesis liberties.

[don]

Re: Personal Survey

Faith is an historical port in a storm. I have other acquaintances that have sort of faded away. Self-employed contractors with little work put the blame on themselves and don't care to talk about it. One ex-family member drowned himself. Five years of a grinding GP will do that.

[jiimbergin]

Re: Personal Survey

I don't know if I know any one percenters, There is one guy in my church that I swear is Bruce Wayne, He Just jets off in the middle of the week to play golf, or watch a car race or something else fantastic. We never talk about finances or jobs. We talk about Kids, golf, and cooking. I have not seen this phenomena that you mention yet. How sad to treat others differently because they have more or less. One's possessions are meaningless. The pursuit of wealth for wealth's sake is like chasing the wind. Have pity on the person you mention.


Eccl 5. (This book is written by a very wise man, searching for the meaning of life. I recommend reading it even if you are not a theist).
Don’t be surprised if you see a poor person being oppressed by the powerful and if justice is being miscarried throughout the land. For every official is under orders from higher up, and matters of justice get lost in red tape and bureaucracy. Even the king milks the land for his own profit!Those who love money will never have enough. How meaningless to think that wealth brings true happiness! The more you have, the more people come to help you spend it. So what good is wealth—except perhaps to watch it slip through your fingers! People who work hard sleep well, whether they eat little or much. But the rich seldom get a good night’s sleep. There is another serious problem I have seen under the sun. Hoarding riches harms the saver. Money is put into risky investments that turn sour, and everything is lost. In the end, there is nothing left to pass on to one’s children. We all come to the end of our lives as naked and empty-handed as on the day we were born. We can’t take our riches with us. And this, too, is a very serious problem. People who leave this world no better off than when they came, all their hard work is for nothing—like working for the wind. Throughout their lives, they live under a cloud—frustrated, discouraged, and angry. Even so, I have noticed one thing, at least, that is good. It is good for people to eat, drink, and enjoy their work under the sun during the short life God has given them, and to accept their lot in life. And it is a good thing to receive wealth from God and the good health to enjoy it. To enjoy your work and accept your lot in life—this is indeed a gift from God.

P.S. I did change the words a bit, they are bolded. I did study theology ... excuse exegesis liberties.

[RebbePete]

Re: Personal Survey

My brother-in-law is living with us. He lost his good construction/manufacturing job, and can only get a job doing maintenance in a senior living complex, not enough money to afford an apartment in our area.

A dear friend of our family went through a divorce, then went out west looking for work. While there, she had a serious health crisis, not of her own making (she had been a fitness trainer, so was in top shape). She now can't get a job and has a six-figure medical bill. She'll probably be staying with us, too, once she's healthy enough to move back east.

Our house isn't tremendously big, but it will do. When my grandparents came to America, they had 4 families, about 8 people, living in a three bedroom apartment. They did what they had to do.

I think each one of us has a choice, to be part of the "fray," or to do what we can with the blessings that God has given us to help those who have gotten run over by this economic situation.

[jiimbergin]

Re: Personal Survey

I think each one of us has a choice, to be part of the "fray," or to do what we can with the blessings that God has given us to help those who have gotten run over by this economic situation.

Well said, RebbePete

[kescwi]

Re: Personal Survey

My wife is from Conn., my FIL was in reinsurance, but please he is not the devil. I'm a GC with employees not subs or 1099 and my wife kind of mothers them so our relationships cut a pretty wide swath.

Yes.

Not necessarily the ultra lucky/successful who by birth and/or effort are in or near that 1%. They actually haven't changed they just can't understand why we don't come up as much.

Those with a financial Napoleon complex are unbearable. Sadly this applies to a family member and this will be the first Christmas in 4 years we have agreed to join the extended family when this individual, and/or her offspring, are present.

In the middle, we have found friendships strengthen, some strained to the point they won't be the same and some new ones develop. There really has been no middle ground there.

What we find most disturbing and the friendships that have suffered are usually those who buy into or are selling the "the poor caused it" line. And it's like a virus, it appears to move, and we have one friend who seems to just now be catching it, at least judging from Facebook posts.