Another Day, Another Drama

I really thought that with the election of Barack Obama that the news media would present things in a more positive light as far as this "recession" goes. You know, pointing out that our unemployment rate is the envy of the world, how more people have the opportunity to buy homes, start businesses, etc, than anywhere else. All of that crap. It hasn't happened. Rarely does a day go by that you don't see a family that isn't suffering through hard times (Note: the people profiled will always have kids, thus getting you to "feel more" for their situation.).

Thus I found it interesting that in USA Today last week, there was a sympathetic profile of a woman who has to work three jobs to get by. Three. As I'm reading this, my sympathy chip did not go off. Instead, I'm wondering why it is that she's not being portrayed as lucky, what with how the job market is these days. Three jobs? Tell those 2,000 poor saps who sat for an interview for a position with the Hard Rock Hotel's housekeeping department how much sympathy they have for that gal. Not much, methinks.

Can we feel equal amounts of pity for both the unemployed and the over-employed? The woman in the article brought home an estimated 40k annually. That won't get her a winter escape in St. Tropez, but if she plays her cards right, it's more than enough to keep her head, neck, and sizable waist above water. What bothers me the most is how these situations are always portrayed as unique, and how every crisis is the worst - until the next one comes along. People have always been fired, had to relocate, took on a paper route, battled (always courageously) a killer disease, dined out less, vacationed less, and generally made sacrifices. Today is just another day, with the same old stories, told in the same old way.