A Christmas Poem for Family and Friends

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS, HE LIVED ALL ALONE, IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF PLASTER AND STONE. I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE, AND TO SEE JUST WHO IN THIS HOME DID LIVE. I LOOKED ALL ABOUT, A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE, NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS, NOT EVEN A TREE. NO STOCKING BY MANTLE, JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND, ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES OF FAR DISTANT LANDS. WITH MEDALS AND BADGES, AWARDS OF ALL KINDS, A SOBER THOUGHT CAME THROUGH MY MIND. FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT, IT WAS DARK AND DREARY, I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER, ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY. THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING, SILENT, ALONE, CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME. THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE, THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER, NOT HOW I PICTURED A UNITED STATES SOLDIER. WAS THIS THE HERO OF WHOM I'D JUST READ? CURLED UP ON A PONCHO, THE FLOOR FOR A BED? I REALIZED THE FAMILIES THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT, OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT. SOON ROUND THE WORLD, THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY, AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY. THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS, LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE. I COULDN'T HELP WONDER HOW MANY LAY ALONE, ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME. THE VERY THOUGHT BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE, I DROPPED TO MY KNEES AND STARTED TO CRY. THE SOLDIER AWAKENED AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE, 'SANTA DON'T CRY, THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE; I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM, I DON'T ASK FOR MORE, MY LIFE IS MY GOD, MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.' THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP, I COULDN'T CONTROL IT, I CONTINUED TO WEEP. I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS, SO SILENT AND STILL AND WE BOTH SHIVERED FROM THE COLD NIGHT'S CHILL. I DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT, THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR SO WILLING TO FIGHT. THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER, WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE, WHISPERED, 'CARRY ON SANTA, IT'S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.' ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH, AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT. 'MERRY CHRISTMAS, MY FRIEND, AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.'

Time for a Financial Revolt

I believe it's time for a financial revolt to take place in this country. All the talk about financial stimulus and jump starting the economy is getting old and a bit redundant. The average american has been the biggest loser in this country for far too long and it's time to start taking back the nation and financial markets.


How many times do you see on television, hear on radio, or read in the newspapers about awesome low interest deals on cars, only to see, read or hear about special interest deals available to "well qualified buyers" and know you are not the people they're talking about? How is it car makers are posting profits if the average american doesn't qualify for their "special offers? Oh yeah, that's right, they get kick backs from banks by charging us higher interest and selling it to the banks as "damaged" credit customers, sometimes raking in 2% to as much as 5% back from the lenders.


The average person cannot qualify for home loans because they can't come up with the down payment and can't afford the house payment at the higher interest rates. The houses either sit empty owned by the banks or Realtor's snatch them up and rent them out for the house payment and a little extra for either profit or escrow accounts to "fix" or "repair" their investment. Again, little is done to assist those that would like to own a home that they can afford. It's little wonder that new housing starts are at an all time low, while properties are becoming apartment complexes and once nice neighborhoods, desolate grazing land.


While there isn't much we can doing about getting into homes at "current" interest rates, we can still do the following:


Go into a car dealership offering special interest rates and incentives, test drive the car you would like to have. Tell the salesperson all of the accessories you would like on the car, what color you want, the tires and wheels you want and take up most of their day. When it gets down to crunch the numbers time, tell them you want the special interest rate and payment you want, the number of months you want to pay or the lease term length, and let them run your credit. Even insist on a cup of coffee or soda while you wait, (most salespersons will be happy to oblige since they think they're going to make a big sale), and when they find out you aren't qualified for what you want and they come back to inform you, politely get up, shake their hand and say, "thank you" and walk out. I guarantee it will take at least two hours out of their day and the dealership will do everything they can to get you to buy, but just say thanks and leave.


If enough people do this, automotive makers will have to listen to their dealers and make incentives for everyone and stop the B.S. of "well qualified" buyer ads. I know from personal experience salespeople will get fed up and dealers will voice their concerns and frustrations to the factories. You can even walk on the sidewalk in front of a dealership and silently protest with signs that if you are not well qualified you will pay more for the car you want or have to settle for less. The sidewalk is a public place and the dealership cannot kick you off, especially if the protest is silent and peaceful.


This is an extreme I know, but what else is a person to do to get their voice heard? Certainly we can't count on Washington to help out, heck, they can't even agree on how to balance the budget or pass a budget for longer than seven weeks at a time, why trust them now? 


If the politicians won't tax those that can afford to pay and insist on raising taxes on the lower and middle class, maybe they can insist lower interest rates be available to all citizens of this great nation.