A Slow Down in America

Many Americans are known for working long extensive hours or working more than one job. And it is now common to not a have a Monday through Friday 9-5 job, but people work more weekends and more nights. Recently mainly employers have cut days during the work week whether it be cutting a Friday or cutting the hours in a shift per day. This cut in hours is to allow many people to still keep their job but to help with other cuts for the company. They don't have to worry about the cost of being open for the day or worry about having to pay the employees for that day. So yes it is a cut in income but is having an extra day such a bad thing? Americans rely so much on daycare and nannies to watch and teach their kids. And many adults spend too much time in the work place that they completely miss out on their kids growing up. And its not just about parents and children, but also other relationships. When you work all the time you have less time with other family whether it be with your parents or siblings, etc and less time with you husband or boyfriend or trying to find one. I feel that it is very important to take time for myself and set my priorities in order. EVERYONE needs *ME* time. After the recent cuts that employers have made it has been proven that employees have decreased stress and anger. However on the the other hand some have increased those issues because it is now that much harder to pay the bills.
Bottom line we only live once and who wants to look back on their life and only be able to remember how much they worked and how they missed out on so many events and missed out on time with family and friends. Time is also looked upon as wealth and it is important for people to make time to do things that make the happy. In another article that i read a Russian professor predicted that the US would collapse by 2010. And that it would divide into 6 parts. I must say it was a little disturbing to read this however, no one knows what will happy with the country that we live in. With economic times as they are and the rise in crime no one knows what will happen but everyone should be able to look back and say i tried and more importantly i was happy. To me happiness is more important than money and status. What ever happened to the "American Dream" of owning a home and having a family, etc. Its gone! I think we are at a time where we as Americans need to reevaluate our priorities and get back to basics!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/weekinreview/01dewan.html?pagewanted=1

http://www.rr.com/news/politics/article/9002/7049934/Russian_scholar_says_US_will_collapse___next_year