Hard times come to Yuppietown

Everyone came, but mainly to look

Today was “Open House” for the artists of Yuppietown, a small town of about 10,000 souls about 10 miles north of here. It was Sunday, so we slept late, ate a lazy breakfast and then drove up to take a look at the action and see how our daughter-in-law was faring with her jewelry sales. “Wow, there’s nowhere to park!” was our first mixed feeling reaction – disappointment at having to walk an extra hundred yards and joy because Diane had so many visitors, and hopefully, buyers in her house. I didn’t intend buying anything so I hadn’t taken a Payday Loan and my wallet was empty.

Very few sales

Inside, the house was humming with activity and a large throng of people moving slowly from one display to another. Diane was standing in the entrance smiling at her visitors. I asked how it was going and she whispered, “So far they’re only looking. Very few sales.” A few minutes later a woman bought a pair of earrings and broke the ice. We hung around for a while and then walked across the street to another Open House. Here a photographer was displaying stunning mounted color photographs and on the lawn a woman had 3 tables loaded with her pottery. They both said, “No sales or very few sales and cheap stuff only.”

Yuppietown

Yuppietown didn’t spring up overnight. It grew slowly and surely as the new breed of hi-tech men and women who were earning large salaries looked for a place to build their dream homes. They built large houses and planted lush gardens. These smart new generation techies got into all kinds of new industries, including many of the old established hi-tech companies. In the streets outside their cars carry company logos such as Microsoft, Intel, Advanced Materials, Comverse and many other lesser known companies. These men and women are enthusiastic and motivated and their children are high-achievers like their parents.

But the hi-tech industries are having a hard time and every day there are news items about the lay-offs, the change to a 4-day week, the salary cuts and other austerity measures. From living at high salaries these people now live in fear for their jobs at all, never mind the threat of a drop in salary. The atmosphere in Yuppietown this morning wasn’t great, but there is an underlying layer of optimism. “The recession has already bottomed out and things are on the way up.” I heard someone saying, “We’re hiring again. Call Personnel first thing tomorrow.”

Back in the house

Back inside the house, Diane was wearing a much broader smile. “It was all a matter of patience,” she said with a sigh of relief. “They are buying, but the cheaper lines. All the things I couldn’t sell last year when they were buying expensive necklaces and bracelets. This year it’s all rings and earrings. I’ll make less money than last year but that doesn’t matter! Our spirit and optimism are still alive and working.”

New Industries

As the old-established high tech companies pull in their belts, new industries are opening their doors and looking for talent. There is a shift into the security industry. With the mayhem going on in various countries of the world, security is becoming a major industry and it could do worse than pick up the survivors of the hi-tech fall out.