Link up : Half a tank

For some weeks now, I've been following this column on Washington Post. Aptly titled 'Half a tank: Along Recession Road' is..

"Half A Tank is a summer-long quest to find images and stories of people whose lives have been altered by a flattened economy. Starting from home in the D.C. suburbs, Theresa Vargas and Michael Williamson are traveling around the country to experience how people are coping, struggling, even flourishing as we all reconsider how we live. "

Each post is interesting, quirky, amusing and entertaining- providing a glimpse into the life of a common man or a community that is dealing with the current conditions in its own ways- taking it as a challenge, or battling it like a war, or humoring it like a child, or enduring it like a parent.

I want to list a couple of them that I particularly enjoyed :

"In WVa, a dance to say we'll be alright"- comes from the town of Union, W.Va. A town which has decided to dance their woes away.

"There’s no doubt individuals here have been hurt by the economy. But it quickly became clear to us that the recession has not been a communal cancer. This place has not been crippled like others we've seen. Children, dollar bills in hand, still raced through the crowd with newly-bought toys they did not need—inflatable hammers, neon necklaces, miniature lights for their teeth that served no purpose other than to flicker when they smiled.

If there was a time to worry, that would come later. Tonight was a time to dance. "

And then there was : "Selling the family heirloom"

'Three generations of Murphy women – Donna, 45; her daughter Rachel, 18; and granddaughter Madeeson, 22 months – were sitting by the side of road near the boundary between Elliston and Shawsville when Michael and I drove by. Their belongings were spread out on blankets and tables. There were videotapes, jeans and knick-knacks of all sorts. A doll in a faded, battered box bore the name, “Your Dream Bride.”

“On TV, they say it’s improving," Murphy said, "but they need to come out here and talk to the real people. It’s not." '

I wait for these posts, its a peek into everyday living, not the sensational reporting about Letterman's cheap digs at Palin or such unnecessary information and verbal banter. In the challenging times we live in, I'd rather hear about the common man than hyped drama.