As part of my 15-year old daughter's summer experience, she is busy traipsing around Sydney, Australia hanging out with everything from the locals to kangaroos for the historic bi-annual World Youth Day. This historic pilgrimage has drawn over 200,000 people from around the globe on the quest for spiritual inspiration, fellowship and a blessing from Pope Benedict XVI.
In her travels and through her e-mail communication, my child has had to deal with the harsh reality of just how little the American dollar is valued right now. She shares how $60 American dollars plus $30 New Zealand dollars only netted her $67 Australian dollars, while a Big Mac Value meal at the local Mickie D's (aka McDonald's) can set you back $12 American dollars.
I can't help but think that to the rest of the world America is having a fire sale. It seems as everything from real estate to banks must go. These can be scary times.
Internet access down under is even limited to the tune of $6 an hour for usage.
I can only pray this economic raping and pillaging of our country will end soon. At the very least, I pray our nation's strength in holding on for what promises to be a bumpy ride.