Thank you for sharing your personal story a bit.

I realize I'm the last person you'd want to chit chat with on these matters but I'll just say - I believe what Ross Perot used to say that wealth, or being poor, or middle, whatever - money is a temporary state. And if the money is what makes one's identity and makes one's happiness - well- that's trouble.

Many of us have ups and downs. In my case - luckily - my "down" was partially planned, partially my fault, partially - some entities stuck it to me but I was able to land on my feet and while it's not like before - I'm comfortable. I don't think I'll have big trust funds leftover to pass on (like I should have and was on my way to) but hey, if I can say I had a rather easy life, no college, happy marriage, and I can tell the kids that "you can go up to Masters level, have no debt, and btw here's your 20% on a house, and here's a decent sized retirement account that would take you 10 years to put away".....AND I was able to be home before school, after school, things in between....well, I can live with that. Big Money was - awesome. And it's allowed to have a decent life even now. But Wifey and I always marvel - at the very expensive hotels we used to stay at pre-kid - yeah it was wonderful but the people were miserable or at least, very frosty. Now we still stay at nice places just not like before. I see 2-3 generations of families hugging, kissing, playing. my last trip to Florida I'm walking the beach, and the nicest hotel in town - the one I was at pre-kid, ALL couples faces buried in phones. Come back to my hotel - again hardly a dump and very nice---- the air just smelled happier, the people were real.

I am glad you were able to keep your home. I remember in 2008 - trust me - I was in the middle of the economic crash. Wife preggers and I was SO WORRIED the bank would call in my personal guaranteed business loans and take the house. I kept having daydreams of telling her - pack your shit we gotta go. I was SO WORRIED - would you believe - I bought I think $34,000 worth of gift cards (yeah, I expensed them business wise - daddy liked saving on taxes, judge away)....at Costco, Grocery store, TJ Maxx, etc. Figure it the shit hits the fan - well - no bank can take it :). Luckily, it worked out I came out smelling like a rose.

But the house thing is invaluable hence - good you kept it.

I know it's annoying when I say "Club 401K' but partially what I mean: I think it's so aloof, so out of touch, so Bubble Mentality to keep using "Noun, verb, S/P 500!". A *majority* of the country is actually on edge economically - some real, some perceived. And the thing is - from the Left we get platitudes and promises of handouts. TRUMP - "gives good ear" you know what I mean?

THIS is why the other day and still - I am hell bent on someone like Beshear getting in, and the Coastal/Sheeple types being quieted down for awhile.

I think that kind of environment builds consensus, which allows men of goodwill - maybe 60-65/100 Senators, to actually craft good stuff, and not gotcha stuff.

Anyhow, if you read this far I thank you. And as usual - questions, comments, insults - I take them all :)