What Do You Have That's Worth Fighting For? As I sat down to write this month's column I was headed in one clear direction. But as is often the case, life happens, and e...

The Stress Mess
We've Gotten Ourselves in One Hell of a Pickle

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Original Publication Date:
October 2009

Lately, I've been sad. I don't mean depressed, I'm not depressed. I mean sad like a heavy, uneasiness that I can't seem to shake. I'm not sad for myself—I'm doing great and am totally blessed on so many fronts in my life. I'm sad for a far more expansive reason. I don't remember exactly what day it started, and there wasn't any particular event or circumstance that triggered it, but that disquieting feeling seems to have taken root and decided to linger. Not until I heard PBS's Bill Moyers, on 'Real Time with Bill Maher,' did my sadness become clear. The accomplished and acclaimed journalist has seen it all. Going back to the days of Kennedy and up through the present, when it comes to covering the political scene, his opinion carries some deserved weight. Maher asked Moyers what was his take on the state of our country. Here's a man who believes in America and who is dialed into its long and colorful history. His response chilled me to the bone. Moyers said, "America is a mighty giant that has been brought to its knees. We are a crippled nation on the brink of disaster." Those few words just about brought me to my knees. He was talking about his America, my America, and your America in such a way I'd never quite heard. It expressed what I had been feeling that was making me so sad. My sadness deepened.

Yes, Bill is one of the few journalists who can talk straight talk about this mess we're in. Make no mistake; we are in a mess.

The American spirit is something that isn't duplicated anywhere on the planet. You have to admit when we're on we're on. Not to sound like some corny Toby Keith or Lee Greenwood song—although that's not such a bad thing—but there is a pride that exists here that can't quite be fully appreciated unless you're one of us. The American spirit in action is a beautiful thing to behold. Not since 9/11 have we shone that spirit so strongly or boldly. Ironically, we're on top of the anniversary of that historic event and we're facing down another crisis of sorts.

This crisis, however, is one that isn't rolled up in a nice neat clearly marked catastrophe package but has been like a slow, dreaded, painful bleed. It has been brewing for some time, and we've been turning a blind eye while the nation has been going about the business of wreaking havoc on itself. We've gotten ourselves into quite a pickle. The problems are many and complex. The reasons for the problems are complex and many. They are real and they are right here, right now. What we have on our hands is one big stress mess. At least that's the frequent word on the street. It's all about the stress. Everyone is speaking the same language. It's what we know. Ask anyone and they'll tell you. They're stressed out or under stress or suffering with stress or dying from stress.

We need that spirit to return to come to the rescue. At the moment that spirit is like a wounded Eagle who is trying to fly with one wing. We don't have time to be caught up in our thoughts of stress. That won't solve a thing. We've got big problems that need big solutions and strong people of mind, body, and spirit to solve them. If I woke up tomorrow to find that America had pulled up stakes and gone off into the sunset, I'd be one sad and sorry citizen. I know in my heart that it's possible for that kind of change to happen because it's already on its way. I also know in my heart that we, collectively, together, as members of this magnificent nation, can put a halt to the slide and put a new face of hope on that pesky pickle...

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