Blue-Eyed Boy

Colby has had a frustrating couple of weeks.  He got hired at WalMart for the Christmas season and did really well as a cashier.  On the Monday after Christmas they told him that they were going to keep him on even though they were letting everyone else go.  He filled out some paperwork and was happy about having a job- even if WalMart wasn't his first choice.  That Friday he went to work and was given his last paycheck and a termination notice.  Not a good day for a young man getting married in two months.  The HR director told him that they were waiting for permission from corporate to rehire the temps to permanent positions and that they would call him the next week.  They didn't call until yesterday, but he was clearly relieved. 

Today he had an interview at a call center that deals with people who are interested in taking online college classes.  He got hired on the spot for $1.10 an hour more than he was making at WalMart.  And if he does well he can increase that by $3.00 and hour with commissions.

When he came home he was happy and relaxed.  He plopped down on the couch and chatted for a while.  He looked so handsome that I had to grab my camera and take a few shots.  Don't get me wrong. . . I am happy that Colby is getting married and moving out on his own in March, but. . . I am going to miss having my blue eyed boy around.  Isn't he handsome?

Hope and Fear

This morning I had to do something that I have been putting off for several weeks. I needed to go to WalMart. I used to love WalMart, but it is so crowded and I buy so much stuff that I don't really need that I have been practicing avoidance. Today the streak had to end. I drove through the fog of the inversion to WalMart where the parking lot was surprisingly empty. As I easily navigated the store, I was struck by the fact that there was almost no one shopping. One lady commented to me about how quiet it was and I remarked that it was "scary quiet."

Our family is suffering the effects of a slow economy- complete with a pay cut. I know that many families across the country and in my own neighborhood are being affected by job loss. As a news junkie, I realize that the economy is in bad shape. But fear overcame me this morning when I realized the scope of the problem- as evidenced by a WalMart that was eerily empty. If the daddy of all big box stores is suffering to that extent, how will the smaller stores survive? How can it be turned around?

As I am generally a positive-minded person, hope resurfaced in short order. What a wonderful thing it was to watch as the Presidency of our great nation was handed over with grace and peace. This was the 44th time that we have had a peaceful transfer of power. How amazing! And how much more amazing that this time, the new President is African-American? It was not that long ago that blacks were enslaved as property and even more recent that they were harrassed and terrorized for wanting equal rights. I have hope that if we can change that much as a nation, we can do what it takes to come out of this recession. It is a new day and I hope that America is ready for change. I know that I am.