Corner of Bourbon & Division

I decided to participate in Sharon Astyk's online class about adapting in place, which she features on her blog, Casaubon's Book. So far the sheer amount of reading is staggering.

So I'm going to have to do all of my homework over the weekend as well. Yeesh.

I am clearly completely certifiably insane.

So far the class is really interesting, although as of this morning I had 24 unread emails from the class. 24!!! AUGH!

I haven't talked much about the current financial crisis. It's not that I'm playing ostrich (although part of me really wants to, and another part of me wonders where the hell the idea came from that ostriches actually bury their head in the sand, but that's because I'm a dork), but rather that I feel way out of my depth on this. I'm worried, but not informed enough to make any kind of clever comment/analysis concerning this fiasco.

My RRSP guy told me a couple of weeks ago that my funds wouldn't be affected. That was before the $700 billion bailout was thought necessary. I haven't had the courage to ask again, but I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever I've got invested has likely taken a nosedive. Given that my RRSPs were supposed to be a major part of my downpayment on a house in a few years, let's just say that this is putting a major crimp in my plans.

*sigh*

Still, compared to what's happening to most people, I'm getting off relatively lightly. I have a good job that is unlikely to get eliminated any time soon. My RRSPs might recover in time, if I don't do anything too rash. I don't depend on my RRSPs to live the way some of my friends do, and the way many retirees do.

What I may have to do is review my expectations of what kind of life I should expect to have in the next ten years. I may not be able to have the little homestead out in the country the way I want. I may have to adapt in place, as Casaubon Blog suggests many people will. I think I'm well-placed to do so. I live in a builing owned by friends, with a yard that is large enough to convert entirely to growing vegetables during the growing season (May to September, or thereabouts). I live close to where I work, which is more than most people can say: worst case scenario, I can walk to work in the time it takes most people to commute here by car. Better case scenario, I can bike here in 30 minutes (less when I'm in better physical shape). Also a better case scenario, I take public transit the way I do now. I also live in a city where I have lots of friends and family, and a more than decent support network. I am also slowly developing skills (gardening, preserving, canning, etc.) that will enable me to live more frugally and in a way that is more environmentally friendly.

In short, if I count my blessings, they are many. I will be a little disappointed to not be living in the country, but I have the advantage of liking the city where I live, and being overall in a pretty secure position. Nothing is certain in this world, of course, but generally speaking I'm doing better than the average person (whom Palin and McCain would call "Joe Six-Pack").

I'm also quite thankful that I may well be in a position, if worse comes to worst, to offer crash space to friends and family if they truly need it. I live in a place which is large enough to accommodate many more people than just little old me.

Hrm. This post turned out a lot more optimistic than I thought it would. Cool. :)