Today is a big day.
Yes, today is New Year’s Eve and my husband’s birthday. But today is also the day we fall over the Fiscal Cliff into new territory.
My only cliff jumping experience involves summers spent at the lake. Jumping into the serene waters of Lake Norfork in Mountain Home, Arkansas is not the same as falling into economic uncertainty caused by the political muck and mire of Washington DC. But it’s my only basis for comparison.
In a nutshell…
Standing on the edge of the cliff can be intimidating, especially when the lake water is low from drought. Further to fall…one mississippi, two mississippi, three mississippi YIKES! The hike to the top is invigorating, don’t look down, one step at a time, the sun warms my skin, the rocks glisten like quartz. I didn’t realize how far down the water would be… The lake is beautiful and expansive. But so far to fall…
It’s too late to change my mind. I can’t walk back down, no way. I should have thought it through better before I got to this point. No choice now but to jump.
The angle of entry is critical. A straight stiff body with tightly held arms glides into the lake smoothly but the water is deep and cold and dark before re-surfacing.
Jumping with loosey-goosey arms and legs is never a good idea. The water slaps and stings the skin, maybe even bruising. Boaters gathered in the cove all moan a collective “OUCH!”
Diving? Heaven forbid! This ensures a nose full of water which is never a good feeling. But my sinuses will be clean, unless I break my neck on an unseen rock deep on the bottom of the lake.
The choices…
a) the scheduled tax increases and spending cuts go into effect, resulting in decreased deficit and rapid recession with loss of jobs and broken necks;
b) some or all of the scheduled tax increases and spending cuts are cancelled, resulting in continued soaring, bruising debt and a potential crisis like that of Europe;
c) something in the middle—a compromise with higher taxes and reduced spending to lessen the impact on growth. (deep dark cold but more smooth)
Regardless, I’m afraid we will get a snoot full of water before we re-surface.
talya
Musical Pairing:
Talya this is so right on and so very scary. You have totally hit the nail on the head. GOD BLESS AMERICA!!
Splendid! Funny! Happy Birthday John! Happy New Year to all!
Well said! We are all going to bruised jumping off this cliff. OUCH!! theBAT
Happy birthday John! And Happy New Year to both of you!
And I think I’m being pushed over this cliff, no jumping willingly on my part! Yikes!
good one, Happy Birthday John and I think we’ll get water in our ears too!
I never learned to dive, never swung out over the river on a rope like my siblings/friends did, didn’t like getting water in my ears, but I did learn to swim. Guess we will all swim with the Congress and the current it forms, even if the wake is bumpy. Love your double-edged piece.
There was a bluff out from Searcy where the older kids sometimes went and dared each other to jump into the river. (Must have been the Red River.) I only went once, but didn’t jump. My daring friend did. I remember how the soap suds squished out of her tennis shoes when we walked back to the car, laughing and congratulating her on her courage.
We did a lot of water skiing on Greer’s Ferry lake. Skiing and swimming, I loved, but I liked to know where the bottom was, what else was in the water with me!
Not sure about this fiscal cliff or our divided Congress. I hope there’s deep water with no hidden outcrops.
Happy Birthday to John. We just had lunch with Aunt Gladys for her 97th birthday today. May he live long in good health and age as gracefully as she has!
I just read this, and all I can say is “Awesome!”