Mortgage interest rates are at historic lows and home values dropped – Isn’t it a great time to buy a house? Well, to be honest with you, my wife and I have been dreaming of buying a house for a long time.

Reading the business section of any newspaper is depressing to say the least; stocks continue on a roller-coaster ride, much of Europe is teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, student loan defaults are up, and a drought grips much of the mid-west. I can’t help but be an optimist when I think, is self-employment the answer to our troubled economy?

“Maxed Out” is exactly how I’ve been feeling – not financially really, but time wise. Maybe it’s because I over-commit myself, or perhaps it’s that I can’t say “no”, or just that I really need a vacation.

It’s not easy for parents to ask for help, and it’s not easy for kids to accept the possibility of a role-reversal. I know this first-hand because I’ve been confronted with an ever-looming possibility that I might need to step in and offer some assistance.

Kio Stark is the author of Don’t Go Back to School and grad school drop out who is researching how people learn independently.