My father was a small town car dealer (Studebakers and Mercurys) for over 25 years. I spent a lot of time down at "the garage" as we called it (Why, I don't know.). Dad would put me to work sweeping floors, washing cars, counting nuts and bolts.

Anyway, posted on his bulletin board (for as long as I can remember) was a short article I loved to read. I've paraphrased it before (in a blog reply to someone), and it seems appropriate to rerun it.

There was this happy old man who made his living as a hot dog vendor on a downtown street corner. He had a lively business, selling hot dogs like crazy.
One day, his son stopped by and said to his father, "Dad, haven't you heard? We're in the middle of a recession. People are out of work, nobody's spending any money. It's terrible." The old man nodded as he served his lined up customers. "You need to cut back on your orders of hot dogs, mustard, ketchup, etc. Open later and close earlier."
Well, the vendor figured his son knew what he was talking about. So he followed his son's advice. When he ran out of hot dogs, customers quit coming. Business plummeted.
Several weeks later, the old man said to his son, "My boy, you were right. We ARE in the middle of a recession."

That paraphrased fable has stuck with me all these years and has taught me some valuable lessons. It's not just about dealing with recession. It's about independence, going against the grain, ignoring what others do and say.

We are a very persuasive populace. Tell us often enough about a downturn in the economy, and we become the hot dog vendor. Pound commercials down our throats, and we think we can't live without a certain product. Ignore the hype. Do your own thing (my motto).