President Obama spoke this morning at Georgetown University on the economy. "There is no doubt that times are still tough, the president said. "But from where we stand, for the very first time, we are beginning to see glimmers of hope. And beyond that, way off in the distance, we can see a vision of an America's future that is far different than our troubled economic past."

That's President Obama's take on the economy. What's yours?

As I prepared to drive in to work this morning in the pre-dawn darkness, I saw a middle-aged couple in a pickup truck sorting through the recycling bin of a neighbor. I tend to be Old Man Buckley in moments like these--worried they might be trying to find credit card bills in an attempt at identity-theft. I thought about asking what they were up to. But as I looked closer, it was clear to me these folks were just going through the trash to try to make a few extra bucks. My concern turned to sadness. It has to be a pride-swallowing moment when one reaches into someone else's trash with hopes of finding a can or a bottle to turn in to a recycling center. I wonder if that couple sees a glimmer of hope?

The government comes out with new figures each week that provide snapshots of the economy. Some suggest we're moving in the right direction (home sales and home-building), others are discouraging (retail sales, auto sales). But at the end of the day, each of us has our own human story of how we're living in this economy. Some of us are blessed and doing just fine. Others are struggling. Maybe some of you are even experiencing a boom.

I witnessed one snapshot of one story this morning. What are you seeing and experiencing?