Introduction
People’s lives are interconnected with the overall situation in the country and the world. Some personal events may reflect a more global political and economical state. The state of the economy can influence people’s decisions to marry, have children, buy a house or move to another city. In this paper, an analysis of my timeline compared to the historical events will be presented.
The Year 2001
In 2001, I graduated from high school and married. It was an important stage for me, as I have become an adult person and started my own family. As for global history, the greatest event that happened that year was the terrorist attack that took place on September, 11. This tragedy has changed the lives and mindsets of a large number of American people. According to a survey by Pew Research Center (2016), 76% of Americans felt affected by this event. As Sunaina (2016) puts it, these terror attacks led to major shifts in the lives of Arab communities. For example, in Silicon Valley, where there was an atmosphere of an American dream and multiculturalism was prevailing, islamophobia occurred. The overall mood of people has changed, as people felt that there is a global threat that should be fought. As for the local quantitative data, in 2001 California experienced an electricity crisis, which also made people anxious about their future. Thus, in 2001 people stopped feeling as secure as they did before.
The Year 2003
In 2003, my first child was born, which became one of the most important events in my life. The global situation still was not positive, as the U.S. invaded Iraq and started a war. As for the quantitative data, the budget of California experienced a fall of $38 billion. Thus, the overall situation felt not stable, and we were experiencing the crisis of welcoming a newborn into our family.
The Year 2005
My family bought a new house in 2005, which became the final step for my separation from my parents and becoming an adult person. In 2005, one of the most memorable events was Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orlean and the Louisiana Gulf Coast. The disaster had a grave economic impact, as, according to Kirk (2020), more than 70 percent of the houses were severely damaged. Tax analysis revealed that Katrina had an impact on the people’s total income, employment, and marriage. Shortly after the storm, a gap of wage of $2,000 occurred between the New Orlean and the rest of the country (Kirk, 2020). In general, buying a house before the storm felt like luck, because the disaster revealed the fragility of people’s plans. Many people lost their homes, so we cherished our new home even more due to the storm.
The Year 2006
In 2006, I graduated from college and got my first degree. Besides, I have lost my grandmother, which was a mournful event for our family. Globally, the year 2006 was quite calm, and there were no disasters that would make the people feel anxious. The economic situation felt quite appropriate, and I felt that I can become a demanded specialist with the degree that I received in college. The only global event that was memorable was the occurrence of a new disease referred to as the bird flu. People were slightly anxious about the possibility of a pandemic and some were wondering whether they can eat chicken or not. Besides, at the end of the year, Saddam Hussein was executed, which to some extent seemed by many a small victory in the war on terrorism. All in all, this year was relatively calm, and there were no shocking events.
The Year 2008
In 2008, the global economic situation changed abruptly, as the deregulation in the financial industry caused the Great Recession. This recession was the most serious economic meltdown since the times of the Great Depression. It affected many countries of the world, and some countries are still coping with its consequences. In my timeline, this year I lost my grandfather, which was also a depressive event. On the other hand, Barack Obama has become the first Afro-American President of the U.S., which was an important event that demonstrated the growing equality in the society.
Conclusion
All in all, personal recollections, global events, and local quantitative data form the overall mood of people. However, personal events often differ from the situation in the world in their connotation. Nevertheless, the global state of the economy can influence people’s decisions on marriage, buying a house, or delivering a child. In my case, the global situation did not influence my decisions so much, although the mood of anxiety associated with terrorism and war somehow was felt.
References
Center for Continuing Study of California Economy (2007). Where does California rank – 2006 update.
Kirk, D. (2020). The wrath of hurricane Katrina, Home Free (pp.18-32), Oxford University Press. Web.
New York Times (2006). U.S. Economy slowed sharply at end of 2005. Web.
Pew Research Center (2016). Americans name the top historic events of their lifetimes. Web.
Sunaina, M. (2016). The 9/11 Generation: Youth, rights, and solidarity in the war on terror. NYU Press.