Robin’s uncle gave her 2 dozen tamales. “That’s too many,” she protested. “No, I’ve got plenty,” he said. “I bought 14 dozen from my neighbor’s wife. Her husband’s out of work.”

Let’s put our economic breakdown in perspective. Out of generosity and/or greed on both ends, we created the perfect tsunami of debt that has now come due. The tsunami tide is now going out and taking much of our accumulated wealth with it. It is rapidly becoming clear that the president and Congress cannot solve the problem. Therefore, it is up to us to save ourselves. How? By taking responsibility for our own well-being and our own actions.

Step one is to avoid spending another self-destructive thought trying to point fingers and cast blame. At this point it doesn’t matter to anyone except politicians and commentators.

Step two, turn off the television news.

Step three, reach out.

Together we need to find a new level of economic stability. At a personal level, as a family, as a business, as a community, as a country. Some will be starting at the bottom, others, further up the line. Reach out as an individual, as a family member, a neighbor, an employee, an employer or as a friend. Start each conversation with, “How’s it going?” “How can I help?”

For your own sanity, if you’re in the limbo of loss; home, money, job … go mow a neighbor’s lawn. Wash his car, fix her screen door. Keep your hands and heart and mind busy. Make your time beneficial to others. You won’t be surprised to find how healing it is to brighten someone’s day.

Be part of something good. Start going to church again, help coach kids sports, join the Lion’s Club or Rotarians. Babysit for someone, tutor a hardluck child.

Be thrifty but invest in your local economy as you are able. Buy Girl Scout cookies, don’t abandon your contributions to missionaries helping the downtrodden, don’t discontinue funding needed scholarships, buying 4-H pigs or helping the Red Cross. Keep tipping the waitress. Pass it along.

And while you are doing all that, fine-tune your business, big or little, feed store or farm, boss or maintenance man. Put in more hours. Work more efficiently. Get your mind right. Pull your share of the load. Put your fear in God’s hands and pick up a shovel. The confidence we have lost in our politicians must be reinvested in ourselves.

Because we, you, me and Robin’s uncle, are America. We are expected to do the right thing, at home and abroad. Which is why, even in spite of our calamity, hundreds of thousands of immigrants, legal and illegal, continue to flood our borders seeking a better life. They have faith in our future. I have no doubt we will live up to it.

“Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.” (Heb 11:1)

Or ... in a nutshell, think positive. PD