a dynamic time...

the current national economic crisis has motivated all of us to reconsider and reevaluate what is important, and what can be sacrificed. resources we once considered renewable, bullet-proof, and guaranteed have all but disappeared. i think we all define our most prized resources in different ways. mine are people. my daughter, my mother, my girlfriend, my sister, my family, and all of these are quite safe. we are not protected from frustration and strife, but our health and stability are not in question. which brings me to the question, why are we all so stressed? what is causing this angst i feel in my gut. our house was burglarized last week, my laptop and xbox stolen. many of my families irreplaceable possessions taken. wedding ring, family heirloom jewelery, cameras, money. there is a feeling of violation, and for my sister, this was her first exposure to having something taken from her unjustifiably. i keep coming back to the fact that we are all safe. so i am conflicted...do i even have the right to be angry. a laptop and an xbox can be replaced. its only money, right? and those people i love are safe. am i really materialistic or is it the sense of unwarranted violation that is so upsetting. americans are losing jobs. americans are losing retirements. americans are losing their pride and self-worth...and i am "crying" about an xbox? so many changes are forthcoming, including how we view energy consumption, the working class, and the realistic parameters of our electable presidential candidates. everything is fluid, our values included. these times are dynamic and crazy. we went through enormous change during the depression and irrevokable change during WWII. today feels like one of those pivital times when, regardless of our values or beliefs, and despite the enormity of imnpact on our lives, we are all alive, juices flowing, anticipating what crazy event we will witness next. my bet is on sarah palin and tonight's VP debate. i'm excited, scared, smiling, depressed, motivated, sleepy, and in love simultaneously...and i still want my xbox back