AS a senior, I can’t help but think about all the chatter surrounding gold and silver prices that the whole world seems caught up in at the moment.
The price of silver has rocketed to the highest it’s ever been, while gold too has reached record levels.
And just lately, we’ve seen a pullback – a pause that leaves many wondering what it all really means.
What does it mean for us here in Australia – a country somewhat shielded by distance and, truth be told, known for a fair bit of apathy among its citizens?
World events still find their way to our shores. Silver supplies are reportedly running low on global exchanges, sending prices soaring.
Around the world – in Japan, London, and even Sydney – people are lining up outside bullion dealers to buy gold and silver before the next price rise.
Online, there’s constant talk about where precious metals might go next.
In the US, the dollar is being devalued, unemployment is climbing, and governments are grappling with turmoil.
Meanwhile, nations are quietly buying up gold as a hedge against the weakening US currency.
Here in Australia, we haven’t had to think seriously about war for 80 years. Yet our so-called friends abroad seem to be stepping back, leaving us to fend for ourselves more and more.
We are ordinary people living good lives – blessed with one of the best health systems in the world and a lifestyle many envy.
But I can’t help but wonder … have we lost our way?
Perhaps we’ve grown too comfortable – too certain that our freedoms and prosperity will always be here.
Many Australians seem apathetic to the changes unfolding globally. Maybe not in my lifetime, but surely in our children’s, and certainly in our grandchildren’s, these shifts will matter.
So I ask – are you prepared? For the next flood or fire season here in Queensland? For your own retirement? Have you thought about what’s ahead, or are you just hoping for the best?
We all go about our daily business, not thinking too much about world affairs. But perhaps they’ll affect us sooner than we imagine.
