When a hare runs full out, all four of its feet leave the ground at the same time with every step. A tortoise, on the other hand, keeps three feet on the ground while one foot moves forward. Therefore, when both animals encounter a cliff, the rabbit sails off into oblivion, never realizing in its airborne state that the earth has fallen away. The tortoise, on the other hand, just keeps going, slowly and surely.
It's this bass-ackwards analogy that best sums up why it's a good time to be young in the Queen City: the economy here never flew very high, so now that things are bad we're not contemplating a canyon from directly overhead.
There are a lot of silver linings for college students contemplating the beginning of the real world right now. The housing market is in a lot of trouble, the stock market is down real far, college enrollment is probably going to fall and the job market is looking shakier than Elvis in a paint mixer.
Which could be great for us.
The housing market is in trouble. Prices are down. Which means that if you can find a way to afford one, it's a good time to buy a house. Who thinks it's a good idea to buy when prices are high? Go buy a house for $50,000. Buffalo has shown an increase in their housing prices in the past few months. Where else has that happened in the U.S.?
The stock market is another place where some quick spending might be real good in the long run. Sure, it's scary when the market drops like a stone, but that means things are cheap. Warren Buffett, in a recent New York Times article, said, "Be fearful when others are greedy, and be greedy when others are fearful."
College is expensive. People who aren't making a lot of money right now probably aren't going to college anytime soon. Ignore the fact that lack of access to education is a heinous thing, and think about what fewer college graduates means: fewer people with degrees trying to apply for jobs. In a little while, that bachelor's in English might actually be worth something.
It's a good time to be educated and young. It's a great time to be educated, young and looking for work. Things are cheaper, and opportunities are going to start to multiply as the need for infrastructure increases in times of trouble.
And make no mistake: America is in trouble. We are in for a long struggle and there will be a lot of suffering to share. But struggle is good. Darwin would approve.
Ours could be the next great generation. Put on your work boots and cut up your MasterCard.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
