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Like the movie, I often wonder if this is as good as it is going to get. It seems like years ago the world looked so full of possibilites. Of course, I was much younger then and had my whole life in front of me. Now I am just starting to think I am just going to have to accept things as they are.
I really think this economy and the last eight years have weighed me down. I know part of it is age, but I just feel this hopelessness about the future. I'm at a point where I am wondering if I am ever going to work again, etc. Every day is news of another bailout, another greed scheme, foreclosures, unemployment, global meltdown. While I have followed politics greatly in the past few years, it's getting to the point where life just looks so bleak.
Yes, I do deal with depression, but I also wonder how much of this is based in reality. It seems like things were happier many years ago - like our country was more vital with a brighter future. Things are not Brady Bunch anymore. I am putting this in health and wellness, as I don't know if this is my mental health talking or reality. Thoughts?
Like the movie, I often wonder if this is as good as it is going to get. It seems like years ago the world looked so full of possibilites. Of course, I was much younger then and had my whole life in front of me. Now I am just starting to think I am just going to have to accept things as they are.
I really think this economy and the last eight years have weighed me down. I know part of it is age, but I just feel this hopelessness about the future. I'm at a point where I am wondering if I am ever going to work again, etc. Every day is news of another bailout, another greed scheme, foreclosures, unemployment, global meltdown. While I have followed politics greatly in the past few years, it's getting to the point where life just looks so bleak.
Yes, I do deal with depression, but I also wonder how much of this is based in reality. It seems like things were happier many years ago - like our country was more vital with a brighter future. Things are not Brady Bunch anymore. I am putting this in health and wellness, as I don't know if this is my mental health talking or reality. Thoughts?
Funny, all true, but funny, I'm trying to develop a sense of humour because of all you have said here, helps to keep me on track, I can't afford to get 'de-railed' now, or to dwell too much on the 'reality' of things. It doesn't only apply to your country I might add, so you aren't alone with any of what you have said here.
There's my thoughts on it...do your best to keep a smile on your face, regardless! and it's probably a bit of both, mental health *and* reality, hard to know which one of these to point a finger at nowadays, that 'line' is getting thinner all the time from where I'm standing.
Lots of people feel that way. It seems as if life was simpler then and it just keeps getting worse and more complicated as we get older. I think that we as people, tend to take the world upon our shoulders and look for solutions to it all. President Obama for instance, he has taken it upon his shoulders and he had to pay millions of dollars to do it. I wouldn't want his job for all the money in the world.
It is a depressing time in our lives and in history as well. Terrorism reared it's ugly head. In Europe, antisemitism is on the rise. The middle east is always in turmoil (and probably always will be). The Untied Nations doesn't really work anymore. Some form of genocide is happening somewhere on the globe. The global economy is pretty much shot. Nations will turn to protectionism in order to bring jobs back into their own countries further eroding the global economy. China's workers will not have jobs leading to political unrest in that country. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
So I'm afraid it really has gotten more complicated (and depressing) over the years. But what are you going to do? Just keep plugging away. Focus on what you have, what you can do and most importantly, laugh!
When you're laughing you can't cry, unless of course it's so funny that tears are rolling down your cheeks from laughing so hard.
Go see a comedy or rent one from the red box for a dollar.
Get a massage.
Go see a stand up show or better yet try open mike night and tell your own jokes and make other people laugh.
Laughter really is the best medicine. Here's a few jokes to get you going.
How do you catch a wild rabbit?
Unique up on it.
How do you catch a tame rabbit?
Tame way, unique up on it.
Q: Knock-Knock
A: Who's there?
Q: Interrupting Cow
A: Inter-
Q: MOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! (shouted at top of lungs)
I don't care who ya are, that's funny right there.
Both great posts, and here I was about to turn on the first political talk radio show of the day (although it is geared at comedy!)
It's comforting to know I am not alone in my thoughts about the state of affairs, as depressing as they may be and that life really was simpler years ago. I have to feel sorry for kids growing up today. I once read an article that depressed people are more in touch with reality than optimists. At the same time, it's better to be an optimist for one's health. And I do know it's a global problem, I just think we in the West have been spoiled for so many years that it's tough to conceptualize joining the ranks of third world countries.
Having said all this, my Dr. has put me on the latest greatest antidepressant called Pristiq. He's had to max out the dose, but we'll see. I do hope it helps. Haha, I can't afford a massage or to go to a show as I'm too busy lining up at the pharmacy. One thing that does help are my two adorable shih tzu puppies, little monsters that they are.
It's easy to pretend that the Good Old Days were better, but they weren't.
We didn't worry about paying for health insurance, because there wasn't any. You paid the doctor and the hospital out of your own pocket.
We didn't have vacines for many childhood diseases. And a lot of children suffered and a lot died.
Few retirment plans. Nursing Home for the elderly were a joke, if they existed at all. Of course, the people didn't live as long as they do now. If they did go to the hospital, they weren't kept of life support for days or weeks.
People all over the world lacked food at times. Transportation didn't allow shipping fresh fruits and vegetables from one place to another. If it wasn't in cans, you didn't get it. The Frozen food industry didn't exist, neither did TV, or home computers.
You made do with only a few articles of clothing. Either cotton, linen or wool. No nylon, polyester or other synthetics. Shoes got new heels and soles, not tossed in the trash. No antibiotics, no drugs for things depression or birth control. Many children didn't make it to high school and few went to college. (looks like that will happen again) No child labor laws, so they started working as soon as they were big enough.
In other words, look at all the blessings that this wonderful world DOES give you and don't dwell on those things that seem to be bad to you. It is a wonderful world. Believe in it. It's a worrisome time, that's true, but the chances are that when it gets straightened out, things will be much better for everyone.
I take my dog for his walk every morning first thing---just to look over the fields and through the forest to remind myself of the things we have to be thankful for! Works for me!! I have found this to be a very helpful way to start each day!
This is a good thread. Unlike Padgett, I do think the world is more depressing now. Maybe it has to do with where I am in my life, complicated by today's world. I never had the Ozzie & Harriet childhood. I've lived through rampant violent racism, urban violence, family dysfunction all the while there were assassinations, recession, and war raging outside.
Now I'm faced with sequential family deaths,tragedies, loss of work, caretaking a parent, loss of health care, and family mental illness, all the while there is recession, war, rampant cyber crime, and global unrest raging outside. Cyberspace affords an outlet but it also represents an even heavier burden of trying to keep current with technology. I think today's world is more challenging than ever before.
My best times are walking and hunting with my dog, fishing with my spouse.Unfortunately the complications of life leave me less time for those few thing that bring peace. It truly is a more complicated time.
Yes this is a good thread, but I'm with Padgett. It is depressing I agree. I feel like a sack of potatoes getting in the car to drive to work in the morning. Not that my job is bad, but my heart is laden with worry about everyone else without a job, and what the future holds for my would-be debt laden children. However, we did not live in the times of the people Padgett were referring to. I'm sure if they could do a Back to the Future move and see what we have, they would not want to go back to their present time. As hard and painful as things are right now, we have to individually and collectively take what we can from the pits of our stomachs whatever strength we could muster to look at the brighter side of things. Having come from another country, I have experienced poverty that I have managed to overcome, but I know that there are still people in that country who have not had the same successes I have had. Even our worst of times is their best of times.
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and it's probably a bit of both, mental health *and* reality, hard to know which one of these to point a finger at nowadays, that 'line' is getting thinner all the time from where I'm standing.
