Thursday, May 20, 2010

Much to my disappointment, the word “reintardation” had already been added to Urban Dictionary not once, but four times, with each entry repeating the same crass definition: to be reborn as a hick. My own interpretation was far more nuanced, I’d like to think, when the word–a cross between “retardation” and “reincarnation”–came to mind today after reading about how the Dow took it on the chin. Again.

To me, the word means retreading ground at a noticeable disadvantage. Let me explain. After trading closed today, I didn’t even bother logging into my retirement account, for fear of beholding some truly ugly numbers. Certainly the changes I made last year weathered some of the storm, but by and large it felt like I’d just been at this exact place–money evaporated, a gnawing dread at the login screen. Didn’t we, like, put this rough patch behind us months ago? Or maybe we never truly left. It’s this feeling of “well, fuck.” Imagine a janitor being reincarnated as a urinal cake, or a cop coming back as a flak jacket.

About two years ago, I wondered what exactly the recession would mean, and here, months later, I can finally define it on my own terms. It’s being stuck. A struggle to get back to zero. For you, maybe this pertains more to your house or your job, rather than your portfolio, but the sentiment remains. And motion, a commodity I once believed to be so readily available for the taking, has become profoundly scarce.