"Times are hard..."

"Times are hard."

Seems like that's all you hear these days, huh? I mean, if I had a DIME for everytime I've heard that since I graduated a year ago, I wouldn't even NEED a job. I'd be good to go.

But anyway, just because times are HARD doesn't mean you can't have FUN in the meantime, am I right? OK, a lotta people are getting laid off. OK, I don't have a salary or insurance as a waiter. OK, the economy is continually getting it's ass kicked. That's whatever. Times change, they go up and down, it's a rollercoaster, and so many other cliches from the book (whatever book that may be).

Go out and have FUN. Embrace your situation, don't sulk. I've tried that, and it sucks. It's easy to get down on yourself these days. But there's really nothing that can be done about it. Ride it out, and when it's better, you'll be fine. You're PROBABLY fine now. I know I'M fine now. Writing it out definitely helps, but think how well you'll have it when things get better! If you're doing OK now, imagine how you'll be when you're riding high!

I've been lucky enough to spend most of the last week and a half with my family and my girlfriend at the beach. The time I've spent down here has allowed me to catch up with myself and to BREATHE again. It really is tough to remember how to BREATHE sometimes. Frontier in CO has reminded me of this the last two years, but not going back this year, the beach has done it.

Jobs will come back out in the future. I have a feeling it will be sooner rather than later, even though that seems like forever from now for those of us who aren't part of a real company or covered with insurance. But in the meantime, smile with what you've got. If you've got a good family, realize it. If you've got a great girl/boy/companion/spouse/friend/whatever, be thankful. I'm lucky on the family/girlfriend aspect of things now, and I couldn't be happier. The rest will come down the road, but until then, I'm gonna keep kickin' it.

It's definitely easy to get down, but when "Times are hard", take those effin' lemons and make some friggin' LEMONADE...because it's summertime now, and who DOESN'T like lemonade in the summer?

Drew