I think one of my problems right now is the huge amount of world and local problems in which to contextualize my existance. When I think about what is going on, my mind boggles with the number of people out of jobs, experinencing financial difficulties, drug abuse, attempted suicides, difficulties because of family memeber called up for the war, respiratory ilnesses, and the like. I tend to be a worrier, not compulsive worry but the kind where the problems of life just stay at the edge of conciousness and trade turns at the top of the pile. I just got a letter from a good friend of mine this morning to add grist to my mill:

A deadly virus air borne, what the F#@% is next! I was planning a trip Asia next month but we canceled our plans yesterday. The airline desperate for money charge us a $600 cancellation fee per person. Our travel agency has told us to use our sky miles within the next 2 month as United will be gone as we now know it. My neighbor works for United and his retirement fund is SOL.

He has mentioned how quiet business has been for the last couple of weeks with people seemingly concentrated on the war in Iraq and uninterested in kitchen tools and appliances. The world psyche, at least for those with the luxury to sit and think about such things instead of just work and worry about where the next meal comes from, seems to be suffering from the situations afoot on this planet.

Blessings to all in this struggle for existential equilibrium.