Stay In Shape At 50-Plus

GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS: Series of articles describing the global economic crisis, its impacts, and how to overcome poverty, loss of hope and opportunity

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Breaking out of poverty and social isolation in rural America

We help Josh, 24, to see that the future is not hopeless, despite the current global economic crisis. We offer him 10 ways to improve his life and social skills, break his social isolation and move on and up in life.

college so it didn't matter at the time. I wanted to start working as soon as I left school. Trouble is, all the jobs suck. I drift from bad job to bad job. It's either minimum wage or working for tips. Some days I'm lucky to bring in 50 bucks.

I live with parents so I don't have to pay rent or buy food. That's a kind of safety net for me.  I'll be 25 soon. I'm pretty scared about the future. What am I going to do?  I've been cutting myself off from people. I don't go out. I usually stay in my room and sleep or spend hours online playing games or just wasting time. I chat with a few people. I prefer that to hanging out in town.  Sometimes I worry I might start drinking or getting into drugs. I haven't done that yet, but I know a lot of people my age who drink a lot or do drugs. I guess I should go back to school but I hate reading books. I'm not good at sitting at a desk, reading, doing tests. I'm more a practical person. I'd like to be a hunting or fishing guide. That would be good for me. I haven't looked into it though. I'd like to have a girlfriend. Eventually I want to marry and have kids. I need to sort my life out before I do that though. You can't raise a family on no money when you're living at home. I'm kind of stuck. I don't know what to do."

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THE PROBLEMS:  1) Lack of education and skills. 2) Lack of jobs and opportunities. 3) Lack of money. 4) Living with parents. Can't afford to rent an apartment. 5) Social isolation. No friends and doesn't go out.	Dr. Lisa Randall, physics professor at Harvard: We celebrate the super intelligent
6) Lack of motivation. 7) Uninspiring surroundings. Few if any go-ahead, ambitious hi-tech businesses. Too few entrepreneurs. 8) Local economy dominated by companies that are laying off personnel. These companies have either been the biggest, or sole, employers in many small, rural towns. 9) Vicious spiral of poverty leading to lack of hope and	Kara Goucher: How to build an athlete's body

ambition. Future seems bloke and hopeless. 10) No mentors or positive influences who can show a way forward, out of poverty and depression. THE SOLUTIONS:  1) Education and training are vital. In the economic crisis, people without a college education are competing for jobs against people with degrees, even  postgraduate. degrees and doctorates. Go back to school. It does not have to be an academic course of study. It can be aimed at a specific trade or skill. Technical schools and colleges offer excellent Associate Degrees that will make you competitive.

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2) Draw up a list of goals,  a life plan. You get from 'A' to 'B' faster with a map or plan. Write down what you really want to do with your life. Where do you want to be in a year, 5 years, 10 years? Think out of the box, be creative, but be honest. Goals have to be defined and specified for you to achieve them. Don't just let them rattle around in your head. Jot them down and follow them up. 3) Mobility. Although it can be comfortable to live where you were brought up, consider moving to where there are jobs and better prospects. You might not have to move that far. Or you could move out of state and try your hand at something completely different, gather new impulses, be around a different crowd.

4) Aim to get your own place, even if it is very modest. The safety net of living at home can actually stifle ambition and problem-solving. You need to learn economic survival and independence.

5) Break social isolation. Long periods of loneliness and lack of social contacts can cause depression and harm the social skills needed to seek and hold down a job. Going out does not mean spending every evening at the bar. There are plenty of opportunities even in small communities to mix with people who want to break out of their isolation and move forward in life.

6) Volunteer if there are no paying jobs. There are many opportunities at nature preserves, state parks, private institutions and churches for volunteer work. You won't get paid, but you will be around people and will pick up useful skills that will help you.

7) Keep your eyes and ears open for opportunities with visitors and tourists. Don't pass up the opportunity to talk to people on vacation or passing through. You might be able to help them, and they might be able to help you. It can be useful to view a problem with outsider's eyes, because a visitor often see solutions that locals overlook.

8) Don't listen to negative people. Don't believe people who tell you there is no hope. Instead, thoroughly investigate all the opportunities in your surroundings. Is there a nearby university field station? If so, go and talk to one of the faculty about possibilities of working there or of going back to school. 

9) Use the internet wisely. Chatting with online friends can be fun and relaxing, but don't do it hour after hour. Instead, use the internet to research your opportunities, find individuals, organizations, schools, and businesses that can help you, answer questions, give you positive input.

10) Find out if your local municipality and/or church is involved in any schemes or partnerships to improve economic development. Your town or village hall might organize courses aimed at improving skills of local people.

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Josh, 24, is poor and unemployed in rural America.  He writes about lack of education and opportunities. He is afraid of the future. We offer him 10 solutions to break his isolation and turn his life around.

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