Okay, I don't pretend that our country's problems have any simple solutions right now. But I am still making a point. There's always hope.

::::::::

When I was talking to a friend about all the things I had seen on the ACLU's website, the contents of actual FBI documents and the long list of ACLU clients, and the info here on Opednews, based on which I was "Singing" my doom and gloom song, the friend did something really funny. She pretended to take out her violin, "played" and smirked in a sarcastic but loving, funny way of her own. "Doom and gloom! There is noooooo solution! All is going to be baaaad and there is no answer to aaaaaannnyyyy of of the problems!" I just had to laugh. She cut through, in her own humorous way, with a message which I, for my own best good, needed to hear. And her humor and physical demonstration drove the point home all the more. It was really funny and I really thank her for it.

So folks, if this reprimand comes, it's because I am guilty too. We all make mistakes and we all are in this human boat together.

And what I want to point out is that I am seeing the same theme here on Opednews:

Doooom and gloooom!!! Prepare yourselves! There is no way out! Never! Get ready: Here's the rollercoaster ride to hell! All aboard that's comin' aboard, which is all of us, willy-nilly! And there's no way out, never-never!

Well, my experience in life with fear in particular (because I will confess that I am very good at "doing" fear) is that what I fear almost never happens.

Now don't misconstrue what I am saying, please. Don't misquote and say that I said that it *never* happens. I said, "almost" never.

I also appreciate and agree with people who assert that our country is in very serious trouble. There simply is not a doubt about it. Further, the matters at stake concern truly criminal matters of a high order, and nothing less. I will couch it in absolutely no softer terms than that, and will spare the crazed non-stop criminals no justice in my judgement. Never. Not at all.

However, here is something that I have learned about fear, and I want to point it out:

When we have circumstances in front of us, with our logical mind we see an outcome as "substantiated" (in our mind) by the evidence we are weighing in the balance. In other words, we think "This is happening, therefore this will be the outcome". Or another way of saying, "x=y" instead of thinking: "X=y OR Z OR Q OR something else. ALL are possible".

So in other words, for every set of circumstances which we face, any number of outcomes CAN be the possibilities. Yes the worst that we fear can happen. But just because it *can*, does it necessarily have to mean that it *will*?

Castigate me if you like, but I assert whole-heartedly that even under the most heinous of circumstances, there can be any number of outcomes. Life is so full of surprises: Haven't we all experienced that in our lives, at some point or other? Haven't we all had the experience that when something bad is happening, or threatens to happen, that hope is just around the corner? Haven't we all felt at some point or other as if we were going to die (or the equivalent), and just when we thought there *was* no hope, just then hope came? And further, that the solutions were simple instead of complicated as the "Evidence" in front of us threatened to be?

"Big problems, simple solutions". That's my motto.

Okay, I don't pretend that our country's problems have any simple solutions right now. But I am still making a point.

There's always hope.

I want to suggest that the best thing any of us here on Opednews can do is to buy a copy of "The Feeling Good Handbook" by David Burns, MD. It's a fantastic book with worksheets helping the reader to identify and refute negative beliefs in one's head. The practical exercises, and identifying the common thought patterns, are fantastically effective. I cannot recommend this book more heartily for those fraught with anxiety, as many of us here on Opednews appear to be.

Further, I want to assert something for which I may be shot down. I will say it anyway, in the spirit of standing up for what is right instead of looking out for my own self, just as I am (usually) inclined to do:

It's NOT censorship to have boundaries.
I believe Rob Kall and any editors here have a right to say "you know what, folks? Such writing style undermines our credibility. Our credibility here on Opednews is important to us. We request that you do such-and-such instead".

Call it censorship. I say, such claims of censorship *may* at times be excuses for crashing the boundaries. People have a right to their boundaries. Period.

Only the government must not censor, because there the concern is absolute power and control. Opednews and its editors have no such power over your lives: Why not let them set the guidelines and actually honor them?? Anything wrong with that? It' s not up to me, of course, but if I was editor here I would say "If you've got a problem with it, then go post somewhere else! These are our guidelines. Period. You honor them, or you go". Period. What's wrong with Opednews protecting its own credibility? Don't forget, that in the long run when people protect themselves, they end up protecting The Cause Itself too. What's right for us is also right for others. Does it do the Truth Movement any good when we undermine our own credibility? Methinks not. Just the opposite.

I would assert, and do, that this violin-song so many of us are playing here on Opednews, singing the theme of negativity and gloom, is undermining to credibility and does indeed do so. I have seen several examples of this first-hand, in which some very important people, in a position to actually make a difference, dismissed the matters at hand because the "facts" were written as rants instead of being backed by credible sources of concrete information.

I do believe that opinion has its very important place, and am not advocating that this be censored in any way. I am merely asserting and suggesting, that to back up our opinions with facts and highly credible sources is terribly important, for credibility's sake. We may make the assumption that readers know all the background facts, and some of them even do. However, not all readers do know, and to assume that knowledge is the erroneous belief which ends up discrediting us. We must, I assert, back whatever we believe or say with facts----highly credible ones and with highly credible sources----or risk being dismissed and conspiracy theorists. Lacking such sound backing of our opinions and concerns, it is our own fault if the cause at hand dies for lack of credibility.

And let's also hold the doors of possibility open. Good can come from a bad situation, even if the worst does come to pass. Good can result instead of the bad things we are fearing in the first place. We never know when life can surprise us. Yes bad things can happen, but luckily, they usually don't get as dire as we may think, and fear.

And if they do, we will deal with it. The survival instinct is strong, and when things get tough, people get creative in solving the problems. In fact, the more tough they are, the more likely people are to get creative and to team up in communities to solve the problems. Is it so bad a thing to have increased community spirit? For those who choose not to participate in that community spirit, it is their own choice and probably a function of their own ignorance. We can lead the way by example, working in teams with our neighbors to solve whatever crises may come up. And in educating the public, they too may follow suit. Bingo! Problem not solved, but greatly improved oh yes.  

Let's take out our violins and play a new song. The song of hope. The song of infinite possibilities, some of them unexpected, unforeseen and possibly even which had been obvious all along. Yet, somehow we never thought of them.

La, da, dee da.....here comes my violin. For those of you singing the song of doom and gloom, please know that for whatever it's worth, my own reaction is to take out the violin and play the spirit of mockery. I don't deny the seriousness of our situation fiscally, legally and with major crimes covered up. Not for one instant. Neither do I wish to downplay the concerns here. There is every good reason for concern. What I *do* downplay is the pronouncement that doom and gloom is the only possible outcome, is what will be and shall be and must be. Kaka! Time to take out the violin. La, da, dee da.....

Have a good day, Kathryn Smith ps I made a decision recently. NO MORE FEAR IN MY LIFE! NO MORE WORRY! We can make ourselves literally sick with either one. And for what? For things turning out not as well as we'd like, but not as badly as we think either? I want to share that it really feels good to stop that broken record up in the head, which would want to run down the road and project all kinds of awful things. It only ruins our good time, our ability to enjoy the people in our lives and the things we'd otherwise be doing. Why bother? Time for a change? Yes we can? All I can say is that I really like the peace which comes with the decision I have made. It really feels good. And I think it's important to do good in this world, which means to spread the word of hope instead of to spread doom and gloom around. I hope others will think about the impact they might (unwittingly, not with intention of course) be having on others in chanting fear and gloom. Thank you for your thought in this area.

Authors Bio:
This quote summarizes the nature of my concerns and the content of personal experiences which stir my activism:

"Necessity is the plea for every infringement on human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves". --Paul Revere, House of Commons