"Doubled Up!"

I do quite a bit of writing about my past; I like to reminisce about the times of my youth. It is fun to remember those days gone by; the places we went and the people we knew will forever be etched into our being. Years always make things seem better than they actually were; this is a gift from God. I like "good old days" stories; I even belong to a group that posts about my old home town.

Many years have passed since I've lived in my old home town; I do visit on occasion and drive by the "haunts of my youth" with fondness of memory. I don't believe I would move back there again, as some things have changed and the neighborhood seems somehow smaller to me. I remember when the last of us kids moved out of my parents' house. We all made weekly visits, but now we were grown with families of our own, and no one was prouder of their children than my parents. After we left, Mom and Dad took time to travel and have some fun. I remember their trip to Italy and the fun they had there. They spent time connecting with old friends and going out to dinners and special events together. I'm sure all of my brothers and sisters were happy to see them enjoying their lives without the responsibility of worrying about us.

Yesterday, the Chicago Tribune posted an article about more Americans "Doubling Up" in our tough economy. What they are talking about is family members moving back into their parents' homes after "leaving the nest". This spring, there were 21.8 million households that have "doubled up", once again filling up Mom and Dad's homes across America. Those moving in range from 25 to 34 years of age; 14.2% of all young Americans. This statistic doesn't count students living at home. This is a terrible indictment of our current economic woes, not only for the unemployed, but also the burden that is now being inflicted on our senior population, who exist on pensions and Social Security.

It is a possibility that the "Golden Years" aren't quite as reachable as they were in the past. Thirty-three months of record unemployment and no actual economic growth added to record government spending is stealing the retirement of those people who spent their lives working to make America a great nation. No good parents will turn a deaf ear to a child; even a 34 year old child, when they need a place to live and food to eat. This travesty rests solely with our current administration and an economic policy that has stunted our ability to create jobs and spent billions on projects that have proved fruitless. This administration believes the solution is FURTHER SPENDING, MORE GOVERNMENT WASTE!

My daughter is very successful in her career and self sufficient; the answer to a parent's prayer. Unfortunately, many parents aren't as blessed as we have been and they are now living out their "Golden Years", once again being the providers for their children. If we want to put an end to "doubled up homes" we need to evict the residents at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C.!

(This is my last post this week. I need some time off Friday! See you all Monday.)