“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…” So begins A Tale of Two Cities , Charles Dickens’ epic novel. Dickens’ words are just as apropos to today’s uncertain times as they were during the French Revolution, when the novel is set.

Although we’re not in the midst of a bloody civil war, these are the worst of times. We are waging a new and unknown kind of war against an unseen enemy. Gasoline prices are skyrocketing. The Big Three are once again faltering (Will they ever learn?) The airlines are in trouble, too. (See the note about the Big Three.) We’ve just been through a historic (and exhausting) presidential primary race. We’re hemorrhaging jobs to foreign markets. The dollar is at its lowest level in decades. The dotcom bubble of the 1990s looks minor in comparison to the housing bubble of today.

Yet, despite all of this, these are the best of times. Unemployment is still relatively low. Inflation remains in check. There is some evidence to suggest that the high cost of transportation is actually bringing some manufacturing jobs back to the United States. (For those of you who demand data, see the June 13, 2008, Wall Street Journal article, “Stung by Soaring Transport Costs, Factories Bring Jobs Home Again.”) The election will bring change, regardless of which candidate wins. Lower housing costs may eventually lead to more home ownership down the road.

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