Good post. When you know all of these things in crystal clarity, yet still are stuck there, hating yourself for being in a trap you know how you could theoretically get out of.

What? You're surprised?

In the 1950's small town on the 4th of July, people were honestly looking forward to the parade. Not much of a parade in a town of 2000, but you knew just about everyone there, and most of the people in it. They were all going to one cookout or another after, then a lot would come back for kids game competitions, or Men's softball tournament.

Wow, Dick Hatch got a new '58 Chevy convertible, triple black. There's talk of straightening the road down by the bend-o-rocks. There's a street light by the Town House now. Nobody thought much about space, the ocean, Africa, Asia, or much else except those damn commies and their A-bombs.

There's much to be said for fat, dumb, and happy.

I believe a primary reason the country has gone to hell is information overload. Too many things to worry about and media working hard at keeping you worried. People are fed up, and know, or at least strongly suspect, no matter how much money they make, no matter how many toys/trophies they acquire, life will still be it's same shitty self.

That's why you have to examine your burdens carefully, to make sure they're worth your worry, or you're beating yourself up unnecessarily.

fucking right Bruce.

dont watch the news
dont follow politics
keep yourself inside yourself

TV portrays all of these Snippit of Life people in their perfect lives...or even if they're not perfect, their misery is somehow glamorous. It aint like that. Heroes are people very far away having a very hard time of things.

don't think so fucking much. your brain is a tool. it is not you. put it aside when you dont need it. you dont carry a hammer around all day.

If one would do this for a month, one would be taken aback at how much one is influenced by these things.

But, if you did, you would be astounded at how many uses you could find for that hammer. There are all kinds of things/people that need, need to be struck with that hammer. Some repeatedly.

Well, I wouldn't be astounded, but, most people would be.

anon...I am with you on lots of those points. Not all though, thankfully.

I care that you feel that way though, and so do many others here. You are not alone. We love you. xxx

Well said Jim, this will be a lot messier. I figured out that a lot of petty annoyances were coming from my job. I had been accepting them but finally decided to go another direction which if I'm successful will be better for me and mine, along with the kids and families I'm serving. Win win win. Sometimes you have to take a chance to improve your situation. I have to be very careful not to put words in other peoples minds, it's a terrible habit which messes with my ability to deal rationally with problems.

Sometimes I think Jim is the new Buddha, cleverly disguised as a car guy who likes the Simpsons in order to remain humble.

Dude has a clarity of thought and prose.

and the belly

There absolutely is more information available than I have the ability to process. It's not just easy to be overloaded, it's hard work to keep from getting overloaded.

xoB's last sentence is the key.

There's definitely information out there that I would benefit from knowing about, or from knowing more about. There's far, far more information out there that is worthless to me. It might just be plain content-free noise, or might be valid and important, but I'm unable to do anything about it *besides* worry, or some other combination the net result of which is my inability to do anything about it. Those things DO NOT justify a portion of my limited mental and emotional energy to "worry" about them.

He is right, but he's not saying those things. Unless a hermit's life is the goal, news, politics, and sharing each others' lives is are all necessary good things. The key is a critical examination of what's being presented. "Consider the source" my Dad often said to me. I've benefited from the application of that wisdom countless times. Who's saying it? Why would they say that? Is it valid? Decide for yourself if it's something that counts for you? Uncertain? Check with someone or someones that you trust. Forsaking all outside influences and accepting all outside influences are both guaranteed to produce misery. A healthy life requires a balance.

Yeah, I agree with this too. TV very rarely gets close to reality, and using such portrayals as a comparative measure for one's own life is probably unfair and doomed from the start, unless you have a TV production crew and marketing department to support you.

I don't agree with this sentiment though. I think all the time, but much of that thought results in discarding thoughts that don't apply. I'm then free to think about what I'm enjoying without useless or destructive distractions.

And it's the best way to travel. :haha:

yeppers. to all of you.