Money/Medicine
Last night as I drifted off to sleep, some commentator on T.V. was going on about Lehman Brothers going under. When I woke up this morning I thought it must have been some kinda bad dream or something- that couldn’t be real.
At least if you can believe what you read, it is though. When the speculation starts as to whether there could be a run on retail banks, it’s like some kinda Jimmy Stewart movie. I feel sorry for all those employees, and also all the people hit by the crunch- young folks just starting out with mortgages etc. I don’t know exactly what impact all this will have.
As a country doc, I never did pay much attention to or know much about money. I lived to try to take care of sick people and my family and to pick a little bluegrass music. I’m glad I did not base my existence on the accumulation of dollars. I have a notion the accounting that is gonna go on pretty soon will make a lot of people sad if that is all they ever lived for.
My Dad lived through the Great Depression. In difficult times, he always says he grew up planting tomatoes in the back yard, and he was just as happy then as he is now. He was a Doc all his life, and like me did O.K. but did not become wealthy. I think I’ll call him today and get his perspective. In my lifetime the country has never seen real hard times, but he’s been there.
Dr. B
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Dr. Tom Bibey: Stories of the Bluegrass Music Road 
September 15, 2008 at 6:09 am
I used to work for one of those “Banks”. I told my friends and co-workers that something was going to happen. They looked at me like I was one of those people that wears a sign that the end is coming soon.
Well, I opted out. I sold all my stock and became a “farm wife”.
I too am like you though Dr. B. I know that my riches cannot be counted with how many zeroes are behind the digits I have in my checking account. The type of accounting you are talking about is not the type of “audit” a lot of people are going to welcome.
September 15, 2008 at 6:25 am
Ms. Cindy,
As the song says the old account was settled long ago. If we do our best here on earth and are sorry for our mistakes we can spend eternity in a better place.
Dr. B
September 15, 2008 at 3:16 pm
I can well afford to buy food, but I still grow vegetables in the back yard. I don’t want to be so far removed from it that I don’t know how to do it. You can never tell when you might need a skill like that.
🙂 Your dad sounds like a good guy.
September 15, 2008 at 3:44 pm
There is something basic and simple in music that tells the truth. Why worry about money as long as there is BBQ.
September 15, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Pande,
You are right. I’m afraid the generation behind me won’t know how to do all that.
Dad is a good’un. If I lost a ball game he’d say, “Son, if that’s the worst thing that happens to you today, you’re gonna be O.K.”
I used to make house calls with him, and saw some folks in pretty bad shape, so it didn’t seem quite right to complain. For a kid it was much perspective very early on.
Dr. B
September 15, 2008 at 4:49 pm
Billy,
I never grow tired of BBQ and sweet tea. In the bluegrass business that is a good thing.
Dr. B
September 16, 2008 at 12:12 pm
You know its sad, my mother said to me last night she was drowning her sorrows. I looked at her quizzically. She said yeh, that her stocks had gone down the toilet. How sad and scary.
Thankfully we are well set.
September 16, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Amber,
Tis a scary world. I own my home and got my children educated. I have my health and my wife, which means it all, so I can go on without trouble.
The ones I feel sorry for are the very young, who can’t get a start ’cause of all this, or the very old who can’t go back to work to weather out the storm.
Dr. B
September 16, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I don’t understand ANY of it.
September 16, 2008 at 2:41 pm
mrschili,
I don’t either!!!
Dr. B