Let's Change the World Through Writing

It's hard to stay positive when things around you keep falling apart.  I can't help but worry about the economy, especially since my retirement fund has dwindled down to nothing.  And about the war in Iraq, especially since my daughter is deploying there.  And about jobs, especially since I work for a non-profit organization that relies on donations.  The status of my career seems completely out of my control--something that feels new and scary.  Three staff positions have been eliminated; who will be next in line?

Once a breath of fresh air, now the cooler, grayer days seem a fitting metaphor for the problems of life. While I usually enjoy these early October days, these last  few have done nothing but bring me down.  There is too much blaming and too few solutions... too much fear mongering and too little hope...too much bad news and too many sleepless nights. I lie awake thinking about my children and grandchildren.  What will their futures bring?

Yes, change is needed--desperately!

Things seem bleakest during the dark of night, but daylight brings only modest comfort. Meditation and prayer seems to help. There is solace in the silence that allows God to speak.  Are my questions worthy of answers?  Sometimes God's voice is hard to discern.

One activity that seems to calm me most is writing. By being creative, I feel as if I'm contributing something meaningful.  I send cards, I compose my letters and I write my blog.  It helps, not only to write, but to read what others have written.  

 So, while I apologize for the recurring gloominess of my blogs, I will continue posting.  It takes me away from the news and it becomes therapy, a kind of creative balance, a symbiosis that  counters the weight of the world against the lightness of the spirit.  I hope my fellow writers will continue as well.   Perhaps, together, we can bring about the tipping point that turns the tide toward fresh ideas and new hope.  May the gloominess be only temporary.