Bailout-less

"For some, there is no bailout"

That's the tagline for the latest World Vision ad campaign, and I think it's appropriate.

I whine and joke that I wonder when the newspaper industry is going to get its bailout (or when the morons who claim that they "get their news" from news aggregation sites will realize that without legitimate news sources [absolutely including newspapers], there is no aggregation of news)

But seriously, I have to look on the positive side.

I have a job
Granted, my employer had to take some drastic steps for the coming year to ensure that we would, indeed, all keep our jobs, but in an age when newspapers are cutting back, shutting down and dying, we're hanging in there. No one's losing their job here because of the economy. Viva family owned papers.

I'm not broke
I may say that I'm broke on occasion (usually after I've visited the mechanic), but seriously -- I do have a savings account, I haven't overdrafted the checking account, the debt is (slowly) going away ... considering where a lot of others are in that regard, I think I'm doing okay.

I'm still able to help others out
This leads me to the thought that started this meandering of my mind: Despite the rotten economy, despite feeling broke as a joke some days, despite not wanting to eat leftover meatloaf tonight and leftover chicken tomorrow night, I'm still able to use my un-brokeness to help other people out. And on days when I wish I had that extra cash in the account, I look through the profile of the little girl in Ecuador whom I support; I read the letters her dad sends; I read the letters from friends who are in ministry, who live solely on the support of others to remind me why I cut back where I do ... and why I'm happy (or should be happy) to do it.

Which leads me to this:

If you find that you, too, aren't that broke after all; that you're doing alright; that you're able to help someone out, I encourage you to make a New Year's resolution to do it. Give to Interfaith-Good Samaritan (here in Laramie), to the Salvation Army, to the Southern Baptist Kitchens. Sponsor a child. Give a goat to a family that needs it.

A goat! I can't imagine things being so tight that a goat would make all the difference in the world, but there are people in that type of situation. So if you can give a goat (or clothes or a cow or whatever), then do it. Make it your resolution to realize how nice and cushy you really do have it over here, with or without a bailout, with or without a new car, with or without a fancy dinner out every night or a trip to the movies every weekend.

You already know that I advocate World Vision, and that I advocate faith-based organizations similar to World Vision. You can find out how faithfully organizations are using their donated funds at the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability Web site and make your decision from there.