Doomerland

One of the hardest things to do is to take to whole process with a grain of salt and just go out and do what needs to get done. In a way, what we do here in Doomerland is the same thing that a hypochondriac does, obsess about his health and fret about things that he really has no control over. I am not at all certain that this is a good way to handle it.

Most of here in Doomerland are just a touch out of control on this issue. I am not advocating a retreat into the mindless consumerism that seems to have taken hold of a great deal of our society. I am not even advocating a John Galt-like retreat away from the toils and accumulated oddities that we call a culture. Nope, I am telling you that you have to let this crap go by. Yes, you should keep up to date on what is happening, but getting you underwear in a twist because of an “injustice” that affects you peripherally will do nothing but raise your blood pressure.

Everyone here in Doomerland knows that the current system won't last. I am among those. But in every case that I can find in the past, whenever a reasonable system went down, what replaced it was considerably less savory. That is what we have looking at us. Bad times ahead.

But what the hell will obsessing about it and ranting and raving do for you other that raise an already unsatisfactory blood pressure? I can't think of a thing. Complaining about how things are going to hell is nowhere near as important as figuring out how to get through it.

So, to continue with the health-related idiosyncrasy analogy, I think that a better idea for how to run your life is the granola-vegan health nut. This guy is just as obsessed with health as any hypochondriac, but instead of passively cataloging his woes and symptoms and whining to those around, he takes excessive control of his health. Diet is closely controlled, exercise is an obsession, research into what to avoid and what to eat is their daily bread. This guy is going to make it happen. (PS: Just to make sure you know where my sympathies lie, this is my one of my favorite quotes!)

"vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter faction, the vegans ... are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit"

Anthony Bourdain

Now for the really hard part for everyone. Spend most of your time doing positive things that will better equip you for the cold times. Oh, you can rant on your blog all you want, but you should really take inventory of how you use you energy. If all of your time is spent looking for symptoms and bitching, maybe you should re-direct your energies.

I think that I am going to go downstairs and clean the basement and take a look at my inventory. Then the little primus stove needs some work.

Sigh...laundry is still down there too.