Excessive Worry, Or, Why I Have Not Posted Much Lately
From what I understand, there is a lot to worry about. There are pets being put to death in shelters due to lack of homes and space and money. There are people still waiting for food and medicine in Haiti. There are people, including children, being bought and sold as slaves all over the planet. I’m worried about getting the flu. Starving children! Factory Farming! Global Warming! Genocide! AIDS! Terrorism! Drug cartels! Do I recycle this if it means burning gas by driving to the recycling center? Will I go to hell if my medicine was tested on animals?
But I can’t really worry about any of that, because there is so much to worry about in what I eat that I don’t have time for anything else. I’m supposed to cut down on calories, fat, trans-fat, sodium, carbs, processed foods, gluten, lactose, preservatives and sugar and getting more protein, vitamins ABCDE, myriad minerals, fiber, whole grains, . My food could have sallmonella, e. coli, antibiotics, hormones, and who knows what else lurking in it. I have to scrutinize my food containers for nasty chemicals. IS MY TAP WATER SAFE?!? The full story at 11:00! And I need to exercise and sit up straight and wear sensible shoes and make sure my makeup isn’t toxic and get eight hours of sleep and stay hydrated.
My point is, I’m completely overwhelmed. I can’t save the world, and sometimes I wonder if it is even worth saving. I can’t be perfect and I’m starting to think that even if I could, I wouldn’t want to be. It’s hard NOT to worry about these things. Every time I think I’ve come to terms with the world, the news brings up another animal torturer or child abuser or scam artist and I wonder if it is even worth trying to fix anything. A new problem always pops up. I feel like you have to deaden a part of your soul just to read the news and I’m pissed off about it.
People use this phrase, “It is what it is”. My husband hates that phrase. It really doesn’t add anything to a situation except helplessness. Let’s replace it with this one: “You have to do what you can with what you have”. And maybe I’m going to avoid the news for awhile.
