It’s hard to remember which of the recent stock market crashes it was that had my bosses bemoaning their losses, but while they were grumbling I realized my own mood was completely unaffected by Wall Street. I suppose there’s something to be said about having so little to lose, about having hovered so close to the ground that these often-scraped knees have developed thick skin.

According to David Henry Sterry in the Huffington Post, one of the “unexpected benefits of the worst economic depression in a century is that for the first time in history, poor people are happier than rich people.”

Since the lifestyle of many lower-income people barely changed with the downturn, some are taking some pleasure in the misfortune and misery the previously wealthy are suffering. Although I’m not enjoying the distress the once-golden are experiencing, having the playing field even a smidgen more level does seem to make my own struggles less demoralizing.

Writes Sterry, “Many rich people … have lost boats, airplanes, luxury automobiles, jet skis, two or three homes, and large portions of their wealth. Certainly many have been the victims of their own greed, but many have also been swindled, deceived and lied to. And many rich people have never been poor, so they have no idea just how hard it is to be an American without money. Whereas poor people, having been poor most of their lives, are used to it.”

Most of those who lost fortunes still have ample cash to live comfortably, just not as much as before. Tough times for them are still far more secure than many of us will ever be blessed enough to experience. Before this recession began, those who lost sleep worrying about where to get the money to fix the furnace or pay crazy deductibles are still losing sleep for the very same reasons, but knowing some overpaid financial guru no longer has a vacation home and matching Hummers lessens the sting.

I’ve reached an age where my rose-colored glasses have bifocal lenses, but I can’t help but hope we’ll be able to find ways to force positives from this downturn, to have it serve as an awakening to reassess our priorities, learn lessons in restraint, appreciation, empathy, and compassion. To recognize that while money can buy security, happiness is something we choose.

While appearing on Good Morning America this week, actor Michael J. Fox was talking about his battle with Parkinson’s disease and how he’s managed to maintain such a positive outlook.

“It’s all about making choices,” Fox said. “The only unavailable choice was whether or not to have Parkinson’s. Everything else was up to me.”

Wealth can’t protect us from being dealt a bad hand. How we choose to play it is our decision to make.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 13th, 2009 at 10:05 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.