I feel like I have a safe haven but I worry about what might come around the corner, could be a serious sickness or accident, getting nuked, an areophane or bomb crashing into my house, a devastating act of nature. I don’t know how I would cope. Maybe I watch too much news, it makes me some what anxious if that’s the word but I want to know what’s happening out there.
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I live a good life. I have my family living with me, 2 sons, DIL and wife, I collect records and work in construction. Its all good. My worries are over what will be left for my children and grandchildren. We have a government full of snakes who are eroding our human and working rights, we are isolated on an island unable to get work permits to go to Europe, our health system is being farmed out to private sector piece by piece, our utility bills will double this year and petrol is £10 a gallon here.
Families are already using foodbanks by us, and this winter it has become accepted that 40% of working class families will have to choose to “heat or eat”. Add Putin and his fkn ego killing babies and old folks in Ukraine, and the utterly depressing news of more and more terrorism the world over, including the US and the frankly ludicrous lack of control over guns, and it all looks grim. I just want to shut the world out, play records and wait for the reaper some days.
Just listening to NAIHF right now typing this, it helps.
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I’ve been getting more and more anxious since the beginning of the pandemic. It helps a little to remind myself that it’s not the first period in history when everything seems to be going to hell all at once - not even the first one I’ve personally lived through! Although it’s important to take action where I can, I’m trying to remember that hyperfixating on the news, scrolling endlessly through social media, or slipping into handwringing and despair are not going to help me or anyone else. In other words, I end up alternating between panic and escapism. It’s like finding a balance, sort of!
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It does help, you just reminded me. History is a great teacher. x
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Honestly, I feel bleak about the future. I don’t want to give you the laundry list, because that would just be a screed of pessimism. Something has to happen that will transcend politics and world leaders. I’m not worried for myself, in the nature of things I won’t be here to see the ultimate consequences of the fuck ups humans are still inflicting on each other and our planet. I’m very scared for my children and especially my grandchildren. I know this is hard and depressing but it’s how I feel. If there’s one thing to hold onto, it’s the possibility of some kind of afterlife…I have no proof that there is one but that’s where my hopes lie…
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the world really sucks right now. fascism on the rise, climate change. pretty stressful
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It gets a bit too much to contemplate sometimes, and complex. I rely on leaders to guide our countries through. If we get involved in war that isn’t ours things could escalate in a really bad way, and at the same time, you’re watching people suffer. Makes me feel rather helpless and it is depressing. Governments talk about the economy and I’ve often heard them state that the decisions they make are good for economy, they wanted the economy to grow, now it’s inflated. I remember it happening in the '80s and afterwards, “the recession we had to have” in one politician’s famous words. I lost my job, it was one of the most depressing times in my life. I went on a job application spree. Three months later I found a way better job than the one I had. During the height of the pandemic, seeing the long queues outside a social security office was really depressing. When mother nature wields her wrath on us it’s scary and we are at her mercy. All these things. I am a religious person, won’t go on too much about it here. I don’t believe in the doctrine of burning in hell for one’s sins, I believe in grace and goodwill, and I know there are people of goodwill out there.
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I’ll go further than my previous post. We are fucked.
Would it be silly and twee if I post Everybody Hurts here? No, I don’t think so.
https://youtu.be/5rOiW_xY-kc
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We are on the edge.
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Pretty much.
I’ve been through the Reagan years, both Bushs years, and the Trump years.
Each time the world was going to end.
Each time it didn’t.
My two cents.
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The Trump years were horrifying. That man is certifiable and beyond dishonest. If he wasn’t so busy sacking people for amusement and aggrandising himself, he could have blown up the world. But because he is stupid as well, he’s not sure which nuclear nation to hit. He wants another term and he’ll rig voting and bribe his way back into office if he can.If he does, heaven help us all.
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He should have just gone gracefully after his election loss. I don’t think what he did after he lost did himself or his party any favour. I read some people missed him after he got banned on twitter because he was “entertaining” People must like notorious characters no matter what comes out of their mouths.
He’s insane. There isn’t a rational decent bone in his body. The ultimate narcissist. I know he intends to run in the next US presidential election and that’s more than I want to know. Hence my shielding from watching or listening to the news. Covid tested my mental health like nothing before, and I’m still recovering. I’m grateful I no longer live in the US, much as I love my native country and (some) people. The problem is there are no credible Democratic candidates to stand against the extreme right. Why? And I know British politicians are every bit as corrupt and sleazy. The difference is that any random person doesn’t have the birthright to go buy a gun, or dozens of them here. I’m doomed anyway. My health is shit, I’m old and time will take care of my worries. The one positive thing is that I’ve found meditation really helpful, so I do that. It’s brought me to a place where I no longer fear death. That’s a biggie. Wow, people will read that and think “this is one morbid bitch” Let them. It’s gonna happen to everybody and I don’t want to live in this current shitshow much longer anyway. shrug
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I have times with I think about mortality too. The good things in the world make life worth living for whatever time we’re here. {{{Etty}}} 
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The spray-tanned former president ushered in some of the darkest days in US history when he fell for the COVID panic and allowed draconian shut downs and handed over the keys, with no liability, to big pharma. Someone with that record should have no chance of getting the nomination again.
Unfortunately many in the other party then used that as the opportunity to show their authoritarian nature by mandating sick people be sent to nursing homes (thus concentrating the virus into the settings holding those most as risk), destroying small business (while pushing policies that pushed that business to the largest corporations, like shutting down the local stores while keeping Walmart open and allowing Amazon Prime to thrive), shutting down public education (now our children are years behind), and abandoning the Nuremberg Code with their vaccine mandates (all while claiming to support ‘my body, my choice’).
We as individuals have lost so much in a relatively short period of time.
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I’m 46 and after my kidneys went to shit (30% use) after a dog trying to eat my face (in the same week) on some days I’m like bring death on.
Morbid? Like I give a flying f…
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I cling on to Sir David Attenborough’s view that there is hope. “Hope springs eternal in the human breast” (Shakespeare I think). Is that any help?
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Oops! Alexander Pope (who lived down the road from me in 1780 (ish)) I pass his house and garden most days and have been in his grotto. He is NOT going to be pleased with me confusing him with the Bard (or vice versa!). Sorry Alex (and Will) 