What Jack Wrought

The country had struggled for months to stave off the initial signs of a depression, but there was no denying it anymore.  The economic safeguards were crumbling, one by one, and no amount of government intervention could stop it.  The impetus of the market crash was clear to everyone.  This was all Jack's fault.  That greedy cad had in one fell swoop brought the entire world economy to its knees.  A simply act of thievery resulted in the millions on the unemployment lines and thousands in government sponsored shelters.

Jack had good intentions.  When Jack stole the goose that lay the golden eggs, it was to make his mother rich so she wouldn't have to rely on their bean farm for sustenance.  But Jack was too generous with his new found wealth.  The goose lay eggs so large and at such a rate that he began to share; first with his friends, but soon with the entire village.  Soon, everyone owned their weight in gold. 

By the time the government discovered the problem, currency devaluation had already set in.  Being on the gold standard and with the excess supply of gold in the marketplace, inflation caused prices to soar to exorbitant amounts.  A loaf of bread, once half a shilling soon cost 150 gold pieces.  The government tried to reign in the production of gold pieces, but as such measures were put in place, the goose continued to lay eggs, thereby exasperating the problem.  The gold standard, the standard upon which the world economy was built was crumbling and it was taking many governments with it.

Yes, this was all Jack's fault; Jack and that God-forsaken gilded goose.

Highway to Hell-sinki

He slammed his foot to the ground; opening up the throttle as far as it would go.  He had always been something of a rebel.  As a young man, he had perfected the art of the pickup, taking women for rides on his Harley.  He still took women for rides but they weren’t 20 anymore.  Then again, neither was he. 

He had the wind in his hair; he felt imposing and cool, the kind of cool that teenaged Marlboro men everywhere aspire to.  He had on his faded leather jacket, a concession his bosses had allowed when he took this job.  Of course, he still had to wear his blue cloth vest over his jacket.  But as long as he didn’t dwell on that, he was cool.  As he drove the corridors, he spotted his next target, his next pickup.

“Excuse me, ma’am?  Do you need a ride to your gate?”  When she accepted, he placed a helping hand under the octogenarian’s elbow to steady her as she boarded the golf cart…his golf cart.  “Still got it,” he thought, as they sped away through the airport together.