Charles Dickens never rang truer. It seems the best - and quite possibly the worst - of times are upon us.
On one hand, we have the best of everything available to us. And if not the best, at least better than ever before.
We can make somewhat healthy meals in just a couple of minutes. We know how important physical fitness is to us, and have the gym memberships and exercise videos to prove it. And, thank to the World Wide Web, we have access to a neverending stream of information.
Need a recipe on chicken adobo? It's online, thanks to former Hawaii Gov. Ben Cayetano.
Need to know exactly what you need to eat to ensure a healthy pregnancy? Check online at a number of sites, including
www.thebump.com,
www.whattoexpect.com, and
www.mayoclinic.com.
Need a cool outfit with accessories and shoes to match? Hit up
www.gap.com, which will then allow you to also shop at Banana Republic, Old Navy and online shoe store Piperlime.
Whatever you need, it's there for you, just a click of the mouse away.
Even better is the availability of news. Missed the Today Show? Go to NBC's website and watch that segment on "reborn baby dolls." Dying to see Katie Couric interview Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin? If YouTube doesn't have it, you can Google it and find it on a number of gossip blogs, including Perez Hilton's addictive celebrity juice site. Want
The New York Times,
Wall Street Journal or
Honolulu Star-Bulletin? They're all online.
It's a spectacular time for humans and information.
Or is it?
Recently it seems that some news is not news, but fear-mongering at its finest, or rather, at its worst.
This morning I woke up to a local TV news story here in San Diego about how the economy could get even worse, especially regarding credit cards.
I don't know about you, but me and the stock market never really hung out. I have always regarded stocks as a luxury. When I watched the news reports about how huge investment firms were folding, I felt a great deal of sympathy for the people who lost their jobs, but it didn't really touch me.
But this credit card thing? It not only touches me, but practically konks me over the head with a blackjack!
Ouch.
The reporter talked about a range of "what if's," including how the economy could get so bad that credit card companies may demand entire balances from customers. Nevermind the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.
Afterward, I ran quickly to the computer and searched for different news articles on the subject. Whaddya know, not a one.
Oh yeah, it's because that reporter had been talking about a "what if."
Maybe it's just my low tolerance for bad news, but I could do without a lot of this speculation. For instance, remember when we were glued to the TV, waiting for Hurricanes Gustav, Hannah and Ike to devastate New Orleans and Houston? The news promised it would be worse than Katrina. Bracing for the storm of all storms, many of us were surprised when all three became tropical storms. While it was a huge relief to all of us that the predicted stormy horrors didn't materialize, I couldn't help feeling as though I had been duped by the news media, who struggled to keep up the drama and our interest by throwing hapless reporters into the wind and the rain with cheap umbrellas.
The news is constantly bombarding me with tales of woe and angst. It's hard not to be persuaded to join them in their wails of anguish.
"Oh, the weather!"
"Oh, the economy!"
"Oh, the [insert worry of the moment here, i.e., toxic baby bottles, tainted milk, backfiring vaccines, West Nile Virus, evil Republicans, evil Democrats, evil politicians, Iranian anger, North Korean hostility, online pedophiles, fat fast food, bad tomatoes, mad cows... ]"
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
No, really. Take that much-needed deep breath, because it's true that most dark clouds are lined with silver. My little rude wake-up call this morning got me really thinking about just what I need in life.
Taking stock of my spending has me reevaluating the precious things in life, what has the most value. The funny thing is nothing my list is being hocked on eBay.
After I took a quick inventory of things acquired over time, I asked myself, "Do I really need the expensive makeup, the brand-name clothes and accessories, and dinners out at the most chichi of places?"
Nope.
In fact, my favorite memories are usually made when we're spending the night in, with bowls of chili and rice, and a couple of games of good ol' Monopoly. Now that's cash I can afford to lose without losing sleep.
Armed with this knowledge, I finally found the strength to pass my credit cards to my husband for safekeeping - away from me.
Who knows? Maybe someday I will be able to do the same with the news.
