It’s true that there are a lot of reasons to worry in our modern world. Most of the information we get from newspapers and television is awful-murder, drugs, dangerous foods, political kickbacks, car crashes. After a while, you start to think everything and everyone is horrible and that life can only get worse. But bad events have been happening since the beginning of time. The big difference is that people didn’t have the availability of knowing immediately. Today we can hear about tragedies as they’re happening. There always seems to be someone around taking pictures, or tweeting about it.
You may start your day by tuning into the morning news. They will fill you up with fear so that you can start twitching before you leave the house. You’ll find out about the weather, not only about the day you’re in but possibly for the next week or two. So if it’s going to rain Friday you’ll hear people reporting that instead of exulting in the day their in. How many of you have been in conversation with someone and mentioned what a beautiful day it is, only to have them respond by saying “Yes, but it’s going to rain Friday”! Why not simply revel in the opportunity of enjoying a sunny day? What if I die Tuesday? I’ll never get to Friday and I spent time discussing something I may never experience.
There’s always a report by some doctor and a member of the food police to make your nerves jangle. In addition everyone has become a pseudo-doctor and nutritionist. You could probably ask a two-year-old now on how to dress a wound. Bacteria is everywhere and you will eventually have to encase yourself in a protective suit that has been completely sterilized. Every time I hear about some new report on how important it is to wash your fruit and vegetables and how careful we have to be about dirt, I think of my grandmother. I remember seeing her brushing off a piece of food that fell on the floor on her apron and eating it. She lived to be ninety-five.
Even bathrooms have gotten prime time coverage. One newsmagazine show did twenty minutes on bathroom hygiene. They said if you go into a public restroom, you shouldn’t use your hands to flush the toilet; use your feet instead. And don’t touch the doorknob when you leave. So now I have to train with Cirque Du Soleil to be able to use the restroom!
At least one problem has been solved. Most toilets flush themselves now so you just might live longer as a result. The bottom line, no pun intended, is use your common sense, and laugh at the rest.