The sky is falling! Chicken Little ran around the barnyard screaming this phrase after something  above him fell on his head. Seeing no other obvious explanation he came to the conclusion that the sky was falling. After reaching that conclusion he made it his duty, his sacred obligation to warn the residents of the farm that the world was ending because the sky was falling. That was his reality. He drew a conclusion based on the how he perceived what was happening around him.

   I am a big fan of social media. Unlike many others of my generation I find it very useful and it makes it easier for me to stay in touch with old friends and a way to make new ones. One of the more interesting phenomena that I have noticed with social media is the never ending need for people (and I have been one of them) to warn everybody of the impending downfall of this great nation and the "coming to a theater near you" end of the world. There are people of every political leaning, religion, and even cults on the web today and they all want to be heard and want me to know that I am either wrong in my beliefs, or that no matter what I believe I am doomed anyway.

   I used to respond to each and every one of these rants or declarations, debating people I do not know and getting myself worked up over things I have no control over and things that really do not matter. Most people I encounter ranting about politics, religion, economics, etc are sure we are doomed and that things are nothing like they once were. The idea that things are changing is true in one sense, and that is as we age we start to see things from a different perspective. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch, Cicero and F.Scot Fitzgerald all lamented about how the youth of their time were out of control and had no sense of decency, time, place, or honor. They were sure that forces were aligned that would bring about the end of society.

   One thing I have learned as I have aged and faced the constant changes life brings is that the gentlemen named above were right. The youth of today and society as a whole seems to have lost their way. From where I sit now I can see where this sense of doom and the impending end of our world comes from. It comes from a better understanding of life and how what we do can effect things on a larger scale. I am developing a calmer approach to things now. As things around me change I am determined to remain in a state of stasis. I know now that although I have an opinion it does not always have to be expressed and it may only be valid to me.

   I am trying to refrain from political discussions and debates about religion, history, economics etc. I engage in friendly banter and conversations about sports, my children, food and other mundane topics that tend to keep my blood pressure on an even keel. I am no longer anti anything. I am pro or for many things. I have decided to remove as much as I can the negative view from my sight. I understand that the world is in a precarious state, but I also know that throughout history this is pretty much the norm. Wars have raged, uncertainty has ruled the day and it seemed as if the world was on the brink of total destruction. Yet here we are. There are things we can do to make life better and there are some things we have no control over. I will tend to those things I can control and disregard those those that I cannot. I will remain calm in the face of controversy as I start over, over 50.