Any one as bummed as I?

[Pythos]

Lately I have been fighting a true funk. I cannot be sure what it is that brought it about but, I am pretty sure that depression is the result.

As I am sure many here can vouch, I can be a very firery poster, but lately I just have not given a damn. When I have come home from work I either just put on some sporty type leggings, or when I am really in the bottom part of a barrel, stay in my work coveralls.

I have a feeling I am being badly affected by what is happening to my country and my world. I hear about the CEO of Wamu (my bank), who just got the job 17 days before WAMU went under, and for his troubles received a 20 million dollar golden handshake. This guy took over a company, ran it into the ground and got a reward. If I screw up on my job that badly not only could I lost my job, I am facing jail time.

If you or I decide to ignore a court summons, we get a bounty put on us, and run the risk of being arrested, Yet Carl Rove, who was summoned by congress, and blatently ignores it, is able to show up at the DNC, and RNC, as well as have a nightly bit on FOX news. Why the hell has he not had his ass arrested for contempt of court/congress?

I am truly worried about the fate of this once great experiment known as the United States. We have such a huge choice with vastly different outcomes. Yet I hear people basing their votes on one of the vice presidential candidates' legs.

Then I look at what we here are trying to do. We run the risk of public ridicule, and in some cases job loss. For what? Wearing items of clothing that for some reason has been limited to one sex. That unfairness works on my nerves, but not to the extent of the above injustices.

It also does not help that I feel I have been going non-stop. Just seems like I am always obligated to do something for someone else.

I knew something serious was up with me, when the thought of taking everything off and stretching into a catsuit actually made me tired. This is one of the simplest items I wear, yet I was too tired to put it on, well not as simple as just a skirt.

I am just wondering if anyone else is experiencing such a funk.

[ChrisM]

Hear Hear!

I have not had the funk as you describe it, but I certainly understand and share many of your concerns. I have had to deal with this in the following ways

(Oh, I better interject: This is NOT advice. I'm not telling you how to deal with it or anything like that. I'm just telling you what 'stable equilibrium' my head has finally settled in. Depends on the shapes of the lumps and bumps, dontcha know.)

Life is patently unfair. Idiots make millions while geniuses starve. A**holes dominate our society to the point that you can't walk the street when / where / attired as you want without fear for your life or safety. Our so-called government has abandoned our principles to the point where it is difficult to even recognize our nation. And my church, founded on a doctrine of peace, love, and forgiveness, I find to be filled with hate, violence and judgement...which just proves that they all need forgiveness.

So what do I do? I say 'screw it.' I'm going to die broke. But I am going to live according to MY principles.

I just was thumbing though "A Road Less Traveled" by Dr. M. Scott Peck. He begins the book by explaining that Life is Hard. It's full of disappointments and failures. And that realizing this is the key to success: We want to believe that life is all good, and so when we encounter disappointment we are hurt (Oh gee, that;s not right, what went wrong?). But that's like expecting the road to be perfectly straight, and then when you encounter a turn you say "Oh gee, you mean I have to STEER? That can't be good." Whereas for me, as an admirer of British sports cars, I LIKE a road that turns, and I would be disappointed if it were straight. In somewhat similar fashion (I don't say we should like life's disappointments) when we encounter a disappointment in life we should say "Yep. That's right. It's got these bumps every now and then. Yep - nothing unexpected about that."

So as for me - I'm never going to be rich. I'm never going to be beautiful. My Hollywood career will die undiscovered. The nation will never know the values I could bring to the office of President. I'll probably always have that temper. I'll never get over being quite so selfish.

But my children love me.
I am kind to cats and puppy dogs.
I can recognize a beautiful sunset when I see one.
I can walk arm in arm with a hurting friend when it's needed.
I have known the joy of a night's sail across placid waters.
I have sat in a mountain glade and talked to the stars.

....

Maybe the old joke-latin sums it up: non illegitimi carborundum

After all, if they get you down, they've won.

I say screw 'em.

With love,

Chris

[01/01/08]

These are strictly MY musings and are not meant to insult or deminish anyone!!!!!

" Life is a *****, then you die" is what I have been oft told.However I have learned
life is a GAME, every game has RULES, if you take the time to learn the rules you
will undoubtedly also learn which rules can be bent or twisted to your advantage.
You will also learn which rules can be broken with little or no consequences . I have
also learned that most people Don't know the rules, or how to use them to their advantage.
Simply put ,when you know how the system works, you can work the system. I do it
as much as possible to get or stay ahead.

[Sasquatch]

I get that way every election year. Politics move me closer and closer to abject misanthropy.

Sasq

[AMM]

I agree, it's depressing.

But, on the other hand, things could be worse -- and they have been.

I remember the Vietnam War (if I'd been a year or two younger, I might have been drafted.) There was a time when, for the majority of Americans, if you objected to The War, you were a traitor and many would say you should be shot. A number of people who were against the war thought that the only way to make things better would be to overthrow the US government, and they tried to. Buildings were blown up and people were killed over it. (Anybody remember Kent State? Or the Chicago police riots?)

When I was in school, boys would get beaten up for wearing long hair, and even when I was in college, adults would come up and criticize my shoulder-length hair. Anybody remember Easy Rider? I would not have wanted to try wearing a skirt in those days.

I remember a president being assasinated, and a candidate for president. And several civil rights leaders, possibly with FBI connivance.

Yes, the President and his men, and Congress, and the press are foaming at the mouth and acting delusional like they did in my youth (maybe someone's dumping LSD in the water in Washington? ), but at least the American people aren't ready to join them any more. They're ready to pull the voting levers for one or the other side, but they're no longer willing to threaten to kill their friends and neighbors over it.

The closest thing to 60's/70's-style national insanity that I've seen recently was the year or so after the September 11 attacks, but I have the feeling that most people have regained some measure of good sense.

[john62]

Hi Pythos,
As I see it the world is made up of three kinds of people, the largest group are those who are the oppressed, they stay that way for various reasons, lack of resources,poverty, violent governmnents etc, the second group are the oppressors they get their kicks out of hurting people, even some churches are good at it, in God's name of course. The third group are those small number who buck the system, but it takes its toll. How to avoid the down side, some ways are to remain in a group like this where there is mutual support, find one or two really close friends who you can trust, or take a break give in for a while then come back recharged.

John

[Since1982]

I agree the United States is made of 3 kinds of people, and I have the perfect solution for all the problems, at least my solution works for me.
1. The ones that accept the status quo and only complain about how far it is to the bathroom from the bed.
2. The ones that get out and do something about it, regardless of the possible consequences.
3. The ones that carry signs, write emails and complain incessantly from their "thrones" about those things they are only too happy to rag on about but have no plan to actually get out and DO something about.

And then there's the 4th group, probably the biggest group of all. They live in the tents, under the train tracks, in boxes, and under broken buildings. This group is in a useless funk of pot, pcp, crystal meth, heroin, and every other illegal drug out there. Unfortunate there are so many more of this group than any other, they have NO say in what happens, only see normal people when they go to the food stamp office or the local medicaid or SSI office to collect for what they haven't earned. Sad, but I finally agree with Pythos on something, the United States is headed for a serious meltdown if they don't straighten this ship of state up.

[Skirt Chaser]

Hey Pythos, one thing you might want to look into is finding out how affected you are by this funk. Something does sound off if you are unable to slip into comfortable clothes that you know make you feel better. I'll mention a resource I've seen suggested by my favorite advice columnist Carolyn Hax of the Washington Post- http://depressionscreening.org/. That site is sponsored by the National Mental Health Association and has a free, confidential, depression-screening test that may help you judge the severity of your problem.

Hugs,

Quiet Mouse

[Peter v]

Yes, me. Not for all the same reasons, but feeling likewise in many ways.

Pythos, hang in there, you are right, the world sucks, and it is up to us not to let it affect us so that we do not function as we would wish to.
You are not the only one going through a difficult time, and I can understand how you feel.
Sometimes we have to go into a dip only to come out of it stronger.
Looks like a burn out.

Don't worry about not having energy for comfortable clothing, accept that you are temporarilly too tired, that makes it a non issue, giving some extra room to relax.
Sometimes accepting the fact that things are not as we wish them to be is enough to see things in a more positive light.
Maybe doing even something small which you can do right, which you like to do will make you fel better, as concentrating on issues which we cannot on our own do anything about only soaks up all our energy and gives no satisfaction.

[imadube]

http://depressionscreening.org/

Damn failed the test...............................
Too bad I've no insurance or other way to pay for help uh..........

Been hit so hard with debts and set backs from work that getting gas to get to work is like taking food from the family.
Got a plan going, just short of total distruction by every bill collection agengy in the U.S. and lost out on work again.
Had a wreck in the big truck, totalled out the 2000 International Eagle we been driving on a freaking farmers trailer (which was not damaged because it went under the bumper). The guy just stopped in the left lane, no way I could stop a Big truck at 70 MPH in 50 feet. Ended up in the median with the front end in lots of peices. Police mentioned it was no wonder how I manged to keep it from rolling. Just unlucky I guess.
Well now out of work, maybe lost job completely - boss is to chicken to say any thing commiting. Will never be hired to drive truck again, have no other skills worth a pay check and too damned disabled from the military to do hard labor.
God I wish .............................. It was easy to disappear.

[Since1982]

I know we're not supposed to say anything about politics here, Carl if you want me to delete this just say so.
I'm bummed, I'm bummed, I'm bummed, I'm bummed, I'm bummed, I'm bummed, I'm bummed, I'm bummed. ppppppphhhhhhhhtttttttt!! << (razzberry)

I just wish our 2 Presidential wannabees would start telling the US what they are going to do to right the ship instead of what the "other" guy is doing wrong.

Am I the only one that thinks saying a long line of rhetoric against the other guy and ending it with I'm so and so and I approve this message is weird? Duh, we KNOW you approved this message, you just told us the message. To me, it only makes sense to say "I'm so and so and I approve this message" IF so and so is NOT the one delivering it. That's it, Rant over.

[imadube]

Just had my picture taken on a camera phone - not in a good way either.
I was raking leaves in a almost knee length skirt and some people in one of those SUV's (not bought for the off road use) went by several times laughing loud. As I was going to go around the corner they came back, yelled and took photo's. Laughing and shouting the whole time.
I guess middle TN is a bad place to wear skirts. With all they other depressing stuff happening to my family I really don't need this.

[Inertia]

Sounds like those SUV guys are feeling insecure about something, doesn't it? <sly grin> Don't feel badly. People who travel in packs and pick on individualists do so because they themselves lack guts. You *have* guts. So consider their uncivilized behaviour a compliment; it's the proof of their envy, and your superiority.

Inertia

[Since1982]

Inertia says: So consider their uncivilized behaviour a compliment; it's the proof of their envy, and your superiority.

I'll consider that the next time those "types" beat me half to death, but I'll feel sooo superior...IF I can feel anything at all. I wear skirts all the time but I don't go where those "types" live, drink or frequent. I'm civilized, but I'm not stupid.

[crfriend]

I'll consider [the notion of envy] the next time those "types" beat me half to death, but I'll feel sooo superior...IF I can feel anything at all. I wear skirts all the time but I don't go where those "types" live, drink or frequent. I'm civilized, but I'm not stupid.

There's a world of difference between laughter, taunts, and a cell'-'phone picture taken by a collection of idiots in a SUV (Stupid Urban Vehicle) and getting the living snot kicked out of one. I'd posit that the former would be quite a lot more common than the latter because in the latter the morons in question might well come out on the losing end. Bullies, recall, are typically cowards; in the instance related by Mark, the clowns were safely encased in a steel carapace that could accelerate out of any possible danger potentially posed by Mark (save a downrange round of ammunition, and Mark doesn't sound like the type who would do such a thing) so could get away with their behaviour without fear of repercussion. Yeah, I'd call that real manly.