Crashing

Is anyone else besides me completely NOT comfortable with our President attempting to 'reassure' us we're not in some kind of economic free fall? I mean, I don't trust a single word out of the man's mouth. Do you? Who is he kidding? This is a recession. No doubt about it. It may, may be heading for something much worse. I don't know. I'm not an economist (though I'm thinking lately I wish I'd pay more attention in my various college Econ courses).

I asked J. this weekend 'why don't they just get OPEC to release more oil?' - this comment offered when he handed me the receipt to put SIXTY DOLLARS worth of gas in the van. He said 'honey, it's not a shortage of oil. It's the dollar. It's crashing. It's not worth as much and the world markets are pretty shaken up and therefore, everything is going to get more expensive'. Huh? I think I harrumphed or something - because honestly, THAT being the cause of gas approaching $4 a gallon had never occurred to me. Now I know what it feels like to live in Europe.

I am a bit 'scared', I admit. We have a life's savings issue here that is scaring the crap out of me - because my husband is less than 10 years away from NEVER WORKING AGAIN IN HIS LIFETIME. And I'd really hoped to retire right along with him. But if this market doesn't turn around and we start earning 2% or less on our investments - or worse, keep losing as we have this past year, there will be no retirement party in either of our futures. And really, it's getting to the point that I'm even worried beyond the 'steadily declining net worth' point of the issue. I'm just scared. What is happening to us? And more importantly, what can be done to stop it? THIS point in this thought process is about the time I wish I'd pay more attention in Econ. Maybe then, I'd have more to contemplate than just the constant 'red' print and 'down' arrows on my Yahoo market watch section.

Me and the rest of America.