July 18, 2008 12:22PM

America’s Pulse

By Robert Ray

Americans are not rich, America is rich.

Most of the people live in rural communities, not urban bubbles.

One can drive for 500 miles in America and not hit a city with over 200,000 people.

I set out on a 1500-mile trip this past week. Chicago to Wichita, Kansas and back. My goal was to talk with Middle America, take a pulse, find out if people are changing their lifestyle because of inflated gas, food and a generally slumping economy.

For the most part, most people I meet in this country are nice. They will look a perfect stranger in the eye and answer a question. Most are honest; some embellish and in between one deciphers the truth of it all.

The Midwest is a laboratory for the thought of America.

People in the middle have a full circle of beliefs and opinions representing the entire country. There are little interior motives to the mindset in the heartland, most folks just think it and say it the way they internalize it. I suppose that is why their opinions are so valuable in presidential campaigns. But, more interesting is the economy in the rural region of America.

Rural America is not rich, not fancy and certainly not unaffected by America’s current economy. In fact, possibly more than any other group of people they are being hammered by gas prices and food inflation. And did I mention a surging series of job layoffs in the manufacturing sectors, that’s the icing.

All around America…big, medium and small businesses are treading. Men and women’s salaries are not increasing relative to the price of life.

THE PRICE OF LIFE.

Stunning that there is a price, and even more disturbing is standing in front of a person who you know is hurting…a person who has a family that just can’t find a solution or means to and end for the stress being caused by money. What an insignificant significant word.

I would venture to say that most Americans at least 3 times a month ask themselves “How the hell am I going to make this happen.”

Anyone reading this who thinks I am being negative is not the majority. You are lucky in money, but maybe not in life.

These people you watch that I interviewed are just being honest. Their word is important to deciphering the impact of America’s current economic storm.  We all want money but in the end we all just need people.