I noticed the stock market was back up after last week's declines. It may seem strange that a carpenter/contractor would be watching trends in the stock market and even stranger that he or she might choose to comment on those observations in a blog that is ostensibly about the the business of remodeling homes in the Seattle area, but this current economy has driven home to each of us I think the interdependence we all share as parts of this global economy. Never have the daily events of our individual lives been so directly and demonstrably tied to events happening on Wall Street or in financial markets around the world. Personally, I'm encouraged by the steady rise of the financial markets over the past 12 months. One year ago the Dow had dropped to below 7000 pts, Now it's sitting comfortably above 11000.
What does it mean? Well, to me it means that we have the resources available to move forward in this economy; to build a better and brighter future together. What's missing? Right now, what we need more than anything is confidence, and that sense of confidence is tied for most of us to jobs.
So, must we simply sit and wait for new jobs to be created to "take us away" from our lives of worries and woe? To a certain extent, for many of us, the answer is yes. We are not however, powerless to effect change in our lives and by extension the world. One action we can all take is to try to be aware of where we spend our money. If we all do everything we can to keep our hard earned dollars close to home by supporting local businesses both large and small (for example we love to shop at farmer's markets, but additionally both our insurance agent and insurance carrier for LScarpentry are local). By supporting local businesses we're keeping our money here in the Puget Sound region at least a little longer and helping to support those with whom we share a common infrastructure, which, obviously we all share the burden of funding through our state and local taxes.
What does it mean? Well, to me it means that we have the resources available to move forward in this economy; to build a better and brighter future together. What's missing? Right now, what we need more than anything is confidence, and that sense of confidence is tied for most of us to jobs.
So, must we simply sit and wait for new jobs to be created to "take us away" from our lives of worries and woe? To a certain extent, for many of us, the answer is yes. We are not however, powerless to effect change in our lives and by extension the world. One action we can all take is to try to be aware of where we spend our money. If we all do everything we can to keep our hard earned dollars close to home by supporting local businesses both large and small (for example we love to shop at farmer's markets, but additionally both our insurance agent and insurance carrier for LScarpentry are local). By supporting local businesses we're keeping our money here in the Puget Sound region at least a little longer and helping to support those with whom we share a common infrastructure, which, obviously we all share the burden of funding through our state and local taxes.
Also, by making purchasing decisions that indicate consumer confidence, we all send a strong message to those in positions of power that we as a nation and a people are not cowed. When we choose to purchase "durable goods" or make real improvements to our property the message is received by those on Wall Street. Consumer confidence is one of the leading barometers of the economy, and one of the main factors stock traders take into account when formulating their stance toward the market at any given point in time.
Essentially, I feel that we should all remember that we live in a DIY country, where everything was essentially built from scratch, and where, even now at the start of the 21st century, we have unprecedented opportunity to chart our own courses through these troubled times to better days ahead.
To any who've stuck with me this far, I have to say thank you. I'm not a market analyst nor do I have any training in economics. These ideas are based on my own musings and not much else, so please feel free to let me know what all I've gotten wrong here.
And when you're ready to remodel your kitchen, bathroom, master suite, turn your basement into a media room, add on a room or deck, give us a c
RSS Feed
