Sink or Swim

I am not an economist, but I am an observer. I am not a business owner, but I am a consumer. And what I have been witnessing the last few months in this country that is being hammered by the national and international media for its enormous debt, and in this city whose market is partially undertaking the burden for it, are people drowning in their own misery, unattainable dreams and debt. Despite the bleak outlook, could this perhaps be one of the best things that happened to this country?

Let me explain myself. I certainly don't mean that watching people drown in debt is a good thing. I am just looking at the overall picture and I think that in spite of the difficulties and suffering some people are enduring, this could be a time to regroup and strengthen the foundation of this nation for the next generations.

About a year ago when the effects of the financial crisis were starting to hit home, what pretty much spurred it in Greece were the media. So the financial crisis was more of an idea we were all brainwashed to accept through the 8 o'clock news, and then it started becoming a reality. Even before the crisis, however, things hadn't been "peachy" in Greece for at least 6-7 years. Then the losses of major companies around the world started trickling down to the industrial area of Volos, in which last year alone at least 4 factories closed down. This means lots of unemployed middle-aged men and women with families, mortgages and other monetary responsibilities.

Now, the market of Volos with its shops are starting to feel the effect. Especially after the entrance of major clothing stores with modern, yet affordable brands, as well as other multinational companies that cater to basic needs such as food and clothing, the market suddenly became more competitive, while at the same time the flow of cash was dwindling. Now that can't be good...

Then, if you add the influx of university graduates that couldn't and can't find jobs in fields that are too specialized or unknown to the small Greek market, you've got people with dreams struggling at a time when failure is a lot more likely than success. A degree in marketing lands you a dream job at the corner of a busy street passing out flyers. A degree in sociology or archaeology lands you a position as a secretary for a boss that expects you to be his guardian all day long,

Dreams are what fuel our existence and our motivation in life, but sometimes we just have to get our heads out of the clouds. This is a principal we especially have to apply to our finances. Everyone wants a beautiful home, modern furniture, an amazing car and the most impressive clothes, but all of these are practically unattainable for someone working on a basic salary nowadays. And people need to start realizing that.

What this financial crisis has done is help to burst this bubble of the fake lives many people were living and it helped the deep-rooted problems of our political system emerge. We knew all of these problems before, but the "starhidismos" syndrom just didn't let us pay them any particular attention. This is the syndrome where you don't care about anything or anyone, as long as you're having a good time ("στ' αρχίδια μου," που λένε και οι Έλληνες excuse my language...).

These are the changes I am hoping that this crisis will eventually bring about:

• A social conscience. People need to start caring and intervening where necessary, even if that means disobeying orders from a corrupt boss or going out of their way to penetrate and change the atmosphere of "laziness" at their job (particularly if they're civil servants).
• Responsible entrepreneurs and business people. Many have yet to realize that the customer is always right. They must provide their customer with a unique product or experience and be considerate if they want to survive the faceless multinationals.
• Politicians we can trust. This already sounds like a cheesy political speech, but I really do believe that if politicians can manage to fulfill most of their promises and support people, instead of inflate their own pockets, then people will be more willing to comply with difficult changes and ....pay taxes.
• More people with creative minds. This must be the only country where the majority of its university grads (or rather, the entire adult working population) is constantly after a job in a civil service or office. The truth is, these jobs provide security, but can strip an entire generation of its creativeness.
• Feet on the ground. Let's stop buying jeans that cost a month's salary just to show off, so that we can pay them off in payments for the next two years. Stop getting mortgages with monthly payments that are not feasible, and stop considering credit cards are an extension of your arm and a solution to all your financial problems.

Generally, it's time to wake up and face the music, because this is a period where you either struggle to fix the problems of past generations so that you can contribute to a better tomorrow, or let your debt and misery overwhelm you. It's time to sink or swim.

Image: http://www.ngpharma.eu.com/article/Sink-or-swim/