De Nile

People suck. This is news? Oh, and the world is in a handbasket, en route to Hell. Again, nothing particularly informative there. The ancient Egyptians probably had the same complaint, along with dismay over the klafts and shentis of their local adolescents. Adults never appreciate teenaged fashion, at least I don’t.

Now, I’ll grant you, those ancient Egyptians didn’t have methane pockets under melting permafrost. Back in those days, permafrost was properly icy, not like the slacking stuff we’ve got. There wasn’t much in the way of global economy in Times Long Past, but things weren’t that great then either.

It’s logical to be depressed. It’s human nature. Modern civilization is hardwired for angst--- literally. News travels instantaneously, and the bad stuff gets better ratings. The good stuff, what little there is, is a drop in the bucket proportionately, and easy to overlook.

I follow several news feeds on Twitter. Rarely do I see anything that lifts my spirits, but I read every headline like a good girl. What gives me a speck of encouragement (not enough to call hope) is the intelligent, compassionate and articulate tweeting from Thinkers and Doers. They’re out there too, in increasing quantity.

Information is a bleak tsunami, and none of us is in a position to improve the world situation. To balance that, there are heroes, and there is progress.

Sometimes peace of mind requires a cup of denial.