Gonna Party Like It's 1929

Long ago, in October of 1929, something pretty significant happened in America. The great stock market crash that occurred on Oct. 29th that year was followed by a huge depression and other bad stuff. History used to be my favorite subject until "creative writing" became my favorite class. "Bad stuff" is a historically creative comment that our nation's best writers have shared with their readers. Trust me on this one.

Things sure were different back then: cell phones and the Internet were fantasies and the TV we know of today wasn't invented until just about one year prior to the crash. "Pounding the pavement" and "banging the phones" led most people towards finding work, earning income, and building relationships. Now, all we have to do is send a bulk e-mail to our 1,352 friends online and we'll end up with at least four job offers, but what if aspects of then began now?

What if our country was facing similar economic crises that were as bad as back in 1929? The way things are looking, we may be preparing for some bigger challenges beyond inflation, foreclosures, failing banks, and a falling stock market. Boy have things changed:

Urgent Priorities at That Time:
(1) Food
(2) Shelter
(3) Clothing

My Urgent Priorities at This Time:
(1) Food, Shelter, and Clothing
(2) Cell Phone and Internet
(3) Gym and Music
(4) Travel and Entertainment

Like back then, substances like alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine won't be a priority because those are surely just for social purposes and surely, who feels like celebrating now? However, as New Years Eve approaches, Americans will still celebrate beyond the general good times experienced on Halloween and Thanksgiving (and those other Winter holidays).

Without those three party enhancements (the sauce, sticks, or kicks), Americans should still be able to enjoy spending time together in person. During the 1920s and early 1930s, Americans were still able to have a good time without booze and I'm sure they can have an even better time now without all of the three pricey, "evil doers."

Beyond the celebrations, life in the US will be like ole' times again. We'll try to simplify and prioritize. Maybe instead of spending zero hours watching TV or Internet each day like they did back then, we'll cut back by one or two hours a day. Perhaps we'll pull out Checkers or Candyland and spend some quality time with our loved ones. Imagine all the books we could read! Imagine all the books I could write!

I'm going to go start planning for my book launch party. Imagine the 1000s of people that will want to come together and celebrate my next book, The Truth About Fear and Doubt. Just when you thought it was safe to go out and celebrate on Halloween, an even scarier event is approaching. Considering joining me at a party celebrating a scary subject like fear where the only stimulants found will be within a 150 pg. book. Writing 150 pages in America? Now that's something pretty significant, too.