If you are among the millions of Americans rushing to cash in your gold coins, jewelry, and anything else containing a speck of gold, here’s a few words of wisdom from old time railroad crossings: Stop. Look. Listen.

August 22, 2011 – If you are among the millions of Americans rushing to cash in your gold coins, jewelry, and anything else containing a speck of gold, here’s a few words of wisdom from old time railroad crossings: Stop. Look. Listen.

That, of course, comes from a time when there were no gates and flashing lights to get our attention – and to tempt us to dodge around them to beat the train. One knew that trains ran on railroad tracks and it was left up to us not to tangle with them. It was just one more way of thinning out the herd. But then, as in every other part of our daily lives, the government stepped in to protect the fools.

Not surprisingly, that is same mentality that made a train wreck of our economy. Americans who aren’t playing chicken with the runaway locomotive are either sitting numbly before lowered gates or cruising past lifted gates without as much as a glance either right or left. Nobody bothers to look and listen for themselves.

We can no longer afford to let the government tell us how and when to proceed. Yet once again all eyes will be on Jackson Hole this week, hanging on Bernanke’s every word, hoping for a sign that it is safe to move on. Here’s a hint: the Fed cannot help breaking anything it tries to fix. So let’s get back to basics.

Stop. Stop cashing in that gold because you are only exchanging good money for bad. Stop worrying about your 401K, it’s out of your control. And above all else, stop letting the government do your thinking for you.

Look. This one’s easy – just look in your wallet after buying groceries. Look at the unemployment lines. Look at the people behind the counter at the burger joint. Look at the for sale signs up and down the block. Look at the faces of the people all around you.

Listen. This one is a little harder because it involves thinking as well as hearing. Listen to what the world is saying. Listen to the voice of reason, especially when it is saying things you would rather not hear. And listen to your own inner voice.

If that sounds overly simplistic, then I have made my point. There is nothing complicated about common sense and that is something we need a whole lot more of these days. If we all stop letting the government do our thinking for us and defer to common sense, we’ll come out of this recession intact, our wealth secured by gold coins.

Kevin Johnson

Senior Staff Writer – GoldCoin.net