I’m a confirmed introvert. If I spend a lot of time with people, I recharge my personal batteries by spending time alone. My favorite escape is Harriman State Park, a 6,000 acre oasis about 15 minutes from my house. As soon as the days warm up, I begin planning solo treks with nothing but my tent, a little food, and a water purifier. When I talk with people about camping alone, the first thing I often hear is “aren’t you afraid of bears?” Bears may be scary, but they are also few and far between. The real danger when camping in the northeast is ticks. Though the size of a pin-head, they carry Lime Disease. We humans tend to focus our fears on big hairy creatures, while ignoring the real danger, which often appears small and insignificant.
That’s what I thought of when I read this morning’s paper. The Dow keeps dropping, passing the previous “bottoms” of 9,000, then 8,600, then 8,400. We are now staring at a Dow at 6,763, the lowest closing since April, 1997. Scary? Yes, in a “bearish” sort of way (could not resist). But I wonder if the real danger is not in the US, but in other places. The American government is still able to function. $3 trillion in economic stimulus, if nothing else, certainly points to a robust attempt to avert disaster. I believe that good news will emerge, as inventories run out and manufacturing begins to pick up
continue reading