DOW at levels not seen since 1997

Its funny that people refer to Japan's economic situation during the 1990's as the "lost decade" when the United States has not fared to well over the past decade as the DOW is relatively unchanged from where it was 12 years ago. To be honest, I don't feel too comfortable with the macro conditions and what government has attempted to do to solve the problem. That being said, I am still a buyer of stocks.

Back when I started investing real money after I graduated high school I remembered wishing that the DOW and S&P 500 would get out of the bull market they were in so I could get into equities at depressed levels. I thought it would never happen as it was around 2006 and the bull market was just heating up. I have been very fortunate over the past year as I had a strong cash position in my portfolio blunting me from much of this downturn. In fact, my portfolio sits around 10,000 dollars, up from the 8,0000 dollars that I started with almost 3 years ago. Now my wish has finally come true as I am able to buy stocks at very depressed levels. I guess I am one of the few investors out there that looks at the market and sees opportunities, and has the funds to take advantage.