It is virtually impossible to exist like an island in such an interconnected world as the one we live in oblivious of the going ons around one or the events having no impact however little on one’s life and experiences. It is from such a background that this paper is written, seeking to connect personal experiences with occurrences during the same period of time by employing qualitative data from revered research institutions to support the analysis.
The period ranging from 2008 till 2013 represent the epoch during which I witnessed the most damning years of my life full of fate altering occurrences. There were challenges from school, from work (had to work a job to sustain my school life), social life and even at home. It was during this period that I lost my job at a local bookstore where I used to work during weekends and a grocery store that I was working at after school. Also, a divorce happened back at home after my parents fought over some issues which they could not resolve by any other means. Some of my friends and I became estranged and life in school was not spared both happening since I could not keep up with the standards we had set before. We could no longer hangout in our usual spots nor could we discuss certain issues since I felt like I was being targeted and generally I felt misplaced and like the odd one out. I was forced to miss some school days to support my mother and siblings after Dad left while still raising some funds for tuition fees. However, what are some of the occasions around me that may have precipitated my predicaments that I could not control?
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Barrack Obama was inaugurated as America’s 44th President on the 20th day of January 2009 amidst a backdrop of optimistic Americans that a young black president would bring along sweeping changes in the entire American society. This optimism was largely hinged upon the belief that Obama being an outsider, still untainted by the politics of the system, offered a better chance for progress. The Black community was especially hopeful that having ‘one of their own’ in the oval would be a plus in their long fight against racism. Another significant occurrence during this period was the financial crisis that started in 2007, threatened to collapse the global financial system as a number of countries notably Greece could barely run their government while some Wall Street institutions (banks, mortgage holders, lenders et al.) were almost being run into the ground. These marked Obama’s initial years in office and would act as test for his abilities as the leader of the free world ready to save it from approaching chaos across the globe. The crisis would affect all spheres of human life and as one commentator noted, it almost got to a point where “shippers wouldn’t have had the cash to deliver food to grocery stores” due to lack of finances ("The 33 Critical Events of the 2008 Financial Crisis", 2018) .
The economic policies that were adopted by the Obama administration since the crises have rubbed many as a deliberate effort by the government to help the rich and large corporations as opposed to being a bailout for the majority of Americans who depend more on the government. Post-crises ushered in a period during which the Federal Reserve used large sums of money to bail out sinking hedge funds as well as insuring some that were being acquired by other business entities. This would translate to a general lack of disposable income for a significant part of the American population which translated to mass sackings and I happened to be among the affected ("Section 2: Causes and Consequences of the Financial Crisis", 2018) . The strain would transcend to American homes whereby parents were struggling to provide their families with decent living conditions. This stress was made more severe due to the fact that they could not sell houses they could not afford to pay mortgage for since the rates were abnormally high. My parents would be caught in these capitalistic crosshairs and their marriage (our family) could not survive the strain. They argued about who was to take care of which bills and how their small earnings were to be subdivided to make sure all things around the house were catered for and that my siblings and I attended school normally. The fights would only last for five months and they decided it was best if both went their separate ways to bring some normalcy in our upbringing. My social life was not spared a bit as I started being a little withdrawn due to the happenings back at home especially the fights which made me lose my glow and seemed more and more sickly. At the end of these ordeal, I was left with a fractured social life with no friends and what seemed like the skeleton of my previous self which I could recognize.
However in conclusion, all the above made me realize that no one can thrive as if they were all alone on earth and that everything that goes on around could have a significant impact on one’s life no matter how distant. Troubles in Wall Street and Main Street were previously lost to me as I always figured I had nothing to do with them but after the crises I knew better. Lastly, I came out stronger and smarter which that is the best part of it all.
References
Akoto, E. (2011). The Impact of the Global Economic and Financial Crisis on the Youth and Children. SSRN Electronic Journal . doi: 10.2139/ssrn.1773078
Heimlich, R., & Heimlich, R. (2018). Beneficial Bailouts?. Retrieved from http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2010/05/11/beneficial-bailouts/
Morin, R., & Taylor, P. (2018). VI. Recession’s Impact on Inheritance and Families. Retrieved from http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2009/05/14/vi-recessions-impact-on-inheritance-and-families/
Section 2: Causes and Consequences of the Financial Crisis. (2018). Retrieved from http://www.people-press.org/2008/10/15/section-2-causes-and-consequences-of-the-financial-crisis/
The 33 Critical Events of the 2008 Financial Crisis. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.thebalance.com/2008-financial-crisis-timeline-3305540
