Our Friend FEAR

Google News headline about the middle age Brits being healthier than Americans.

NPR's "Talk of the Nation" discussion of the possible flu pandemic.

These are just a few of today's headlines in which the people in my head are demanding to blog about. Is it any wonder as to why the middle class Brits are healthier than us? They're less stressed! They aren't running in a gerbil wheel like we are, trying to keep up with all the latest trends in everything from diet to fashion, politics to political cause, material accoutrements to social status, exercise regimen to religion, etc.... I know I am going out on a HUGE limb in saying this, and will probably regret the day I decide to make this site non-anonymous, but since Americans tend to believe the popular belief that we are the "best" land of opportunity on the planet, we also like to believe that we have to run this never ending marathon in order to keep that image alive. That's bullocks! While the majority of us think we are in a better place than we were 50, 100, or 150 years ago, which was still way advanced compared to some of today's 3rd world nations, in truth, it might be just the contrary. I am basing this belief on last year's trip to three third world countries. Granted, it was my first time to spend any significant amount of time in the third world, and I'll be the first to admit that I suffered severely from culture shock, but perhaps part of my culture shock was observing a more simplistic society than my own, striving desperately towards a better life that it thinks my culture produces. With more flashing lights and material accoutrements comes an unsatiable desire to acquire more stuff, which in turn fuels the impossible belief that through achieving a perscribed amount of material and accomplishments and power in our lives, we will be happy. I believe this to be a direct cause of mid-life crisises. Are mid-life crisises an international phenomena or another homegrown issue? What do I know, I'm just a mid-westerner in her late 20's who likes to belly dance.

What a great segue to our next headline, NPR's discussion of the flu pandemic. During the show, Neil accepted a call from Brent, a morgue director in Kansas City, of all places!, who was deeply concerned with how the funeral expenses of the thousands of dead were going to be paid off. I couldn't believe it and almost fell over. And how Neil not only did not hang up on him, but was able to express his sincere concern in finding an answer to Brent's question, is way beyond me. Did it ever occur to Brent that he could clearly be counting his chickens before they hatch?! What makes him so sure he will survive, and not be one of the flu victims himself?! Will he really care then how he is going to be buried or who's going to pay for it?! No, he'll be dead, just like the rest of us, and then it will be up to the living to figure out how to efficiently dispose of the bodies. This, to me, symbolizes the epitome of the American consciousness, our desperate efforts to cross all bridges long before we come to them. The same pattern is being repeated in the government's effort "to get to the bottom of gas price-gauging" and also in our hurricane/disaster relief response, as well as our in country's major political power stuggle. It's simply a matter of coming to grips with the fact that the only way to reduce price-gauging is through not demanding so much gas, aka stop using it and start conserving!, and to realize that in terms of natural disasters, everything we need is provided for us, as well as confronting the fact that our country is in its "adolescent" years and finger pointing at politicians does not solve any of our problems and only hinders our country's growth process.

But, in a way, I do enjoy many of NPR's fear based discussions as they usually "walk on the fighting side of me" providing an excellent source of fuel for my blog. Long live Merle.