It's getting dark out there, turn on a light , even for those you would normally let stumble...

CitiZen Zen's primary purpose is to use our skills, knowledge, and wisdom to help others. We feel our local community needs are widely overlooked and as "community assistants" it's our responsibility to assist and inspire our local communities.

Okay folks, it's been awhile and I finally have a moment to get on and say hi. I have been so caught up in my own mess, it seems so easy to forget about the few people who read this for some inspiration. Honestly though, I'm not feeling to uplifting these days. This economy has hit my family hard. The company I worked for cut me lose in December and the job I had lined up, bailed out saying they did not have the time to be there to train me. On top of that, we have had to move out of the home my wife and I truly loved, and relocate into the basement of her mothers.

I fought for years to get out of my parents basement, to get on my feet, and to make something of myself. Now, 7 years later, I'm back at square one. So forgive me if I get a bit side tracked.

I can do two things, hold my head up or wallow in pity, and it is real easy to do the wrong thing, down here in the dark, cold basement. I can wallow with the best of them, but I refuse. I am going to take my licks and keep on fighting, this situation is just temporary and I will get by. My family still has a roof over their head, the kids eat and go to school, and my wife is working. I am currently involved in several things such as teaching first aid and cpr and I have a Pet First Aid class this weekend. I'm also on the Reston Festival committee and will be helping to plan that out, which will enable me to network a bit and possibly meet some job oppurtunities. I have sources in every corner of the dc area and have already made a few bucks brokering a print job and have some ideas in the horizon so there is hope.

I will continue to stand tall, and hold up my head and I urge others to do the same. If you are still working, do everything you can to keep your company afloat cause man it's dark out here. If your scraping by, keep scraping, if your doing great, do what you can to help out others.

I was in CVS yesterday and the cashier and I were chatting about the CVS coupons and deals, he stated that CVS is doing it to beat Walgreens, which is a great plan, then he started to say how Walgreens just let 6% of it's executive board go, and at that moment I think we both felt it..normally, a conversation like that would be..alright, that's awesome, but it was almost sympathetic. He started to brag, caught himself, then mumbled the rest as if he realized that today, that is not so great. This economy needs everyone working and spending, not closing it's doors.

So in the spirit of Citizen Zen, do what you can to help whomever you can. This is America, and capitalism is king, but if your competitor isn't working, then the families he employes aren't buying, then the stores they support arent selling, and all products aren't moving, then your doors are closing, then you be here in the dark stumblin.....