Let's Talk About the People Who Are REALLY Suffering

My Grandfather has this habit... He likes to talk about the less than fruitful financial affairs of our great nation. Unfortunately for me (or really the rest of America) we are in an economical recession.

I understand that many people are going through the pain of bankruptcy, foreclosure, and collection agencies. However, if you ask me, the people we should really have sympathy for is America's future, the college student.

This is not because they have their work cut out for them once they join the real world. Please! I'm having enough trouble on my own as a 4 year + graduate. The reason we should all have some compassion is simple, the price of hops.

Yes, hops! My grandfather loves to tell me about the daily increased price of a barrel of oil, or that the cost of rice is really going to skyrocket! Recently, he informed me that the latest victim of these financial hard times are going to effect "beer drinkers like me".

Now, ignoring any implications his statement might have made, I convinced myself that I was still able to afford an $11.00 twelve pack... (maybe every other week). Then I got to thinking. The only REAL time I had to budget for beer was in college. Every Thursday or Friday night my friends and I would pool together our cash to give to an actual 21 year old to buy us our prefunk booze (obviously the beer was free once we stepped foot into a frat party). Sometimes it was all I could do to pitch in $6. Seriously! Money was short unless it was chargeable to the University food account!

So now, with the increased price of hops which in turn effects the price of beer, my heart goes out to all you college students. My best advice is to make friends with a dorm mate who has rich parents, or skip the prefunk all together and head straight for the frat sponsored party. And remember, life will get better and more fruitful after 22. Enjoy the hard times now, you'll never experience fun like it again!