The Sky Is Falling!

There’s no point in writing about what’s wrong with the world. No one is listening. Unless the issue affects a person directly, people don’t care. Is this type of behavior selfish? I don’t think so. There’s too many problems in the world.

The sky is falling!

Corruption. Shootings. More expensive necessities. Vile hatred of fellow humans. Mistreating the essential Americans who saved our country during a worldwide crisis. More access to knowledge than ever before as our collective intelligence plunges.

The sky is falling!

Everywhere you go, people are struggling to survive. Aggression is at an all-time high, patience no longer exists. Drowning in debt, unable to afford basic living expenses, and rising inflation. For some it’s more serious, like needing to find clean water or a place to spend the night. For all of us in America, it’s wondering when a mass shooting while decimate our slice of the universe. How many times have I heard “I never thought this would happen here”? Every single time.

The sky is falling!

Many of us refuse to acknowledge our shared reality. Too stuck in our own. Too afraid to accept the mess we’ve made of our world. Some of us are willfully ignorant in a blissful delusion buried behind screens and consumerist hobbies. Others believe they’re the center of the universe, you know them, they drive slow in the left lane and have social media feeds with nothing but filtered selfies. But for many Americans, they’re stuck in survival mode 24/7, afraid driving to work, attending a class, or buying food at the grocery store could financially derail their life. Or leave them dead.

The sky is falling!

With so many battles, both new and old, where do we even start? What’s the most important thing? Do we consider the long-term or save me right now the focus? Rather than work together to figure this thing out, we break off into factions. Creating villains of strangers, friends, and family over different perspectives.

The sky is falling!

Everything becomes so overwhelming. We work longer hours. Terrified the next round of layoffs will be us. We numb ourselves with binging food, TV, or mind-altering substances. Developing addictive habits. Finding our faith or turning away out of frustration. Making ourselves too busy to think. Keep working. Need money to survive. Avoid the things that are truly on our minds. Trapped in a cycle that has us working to early graves with a promise things will be better tomorrow. Too bad there’s a reason it’s called a rat race.

The sky is falling!

Mostly everyone on this planet is struggling. I understand the world isn’t fair, but this feeling is everywhere. It makes no sense. Is exsistence supposed to be a daily struggle for 99% of the world? I detest those who claim money doesn’t buy happiness. For one, it’s usually said by people with plenty of money. Second, money may not buy happiness, but it would sure allow me to afford rent, healthcare, and eggs. And for many, it would prevent cold nights on park benches or missed meals for their children. A giant mark of shame on our great and prosperous nation.

The sky is falling!

I don’t know what to do. I fear we’ll no longer be able to distract ourselves from society’s doom. Why not be the Americans who get this country back on the right track? We may not succeed, but we need to do something. No one else is.

The sky is falling!

We can keep fighting, as there will always be new things to disagree on… or we can come together and figure this out. Compromising on things we don’t want to. Understanding that opinions will be different, but solutions can be found. Accepting our values are only truths to ourselves. We have a right to our beliefs, just as much as others have the right to oppose them. Imposing our perspective on the world is the exact opposite of freedom. And the only way freedom will truly ring is if every American can safely pursue life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Even those we disagree with.

Originally published at https://brianvstheworld.com on February 16, 2023.