I'm Just Saying...

It's election night and here I am with clowns to the left of me and jokers to the right, feeling stuck in the middle with myself. Actually, truth be told, I'd probably place somewhere in the midst of the clowns if you're going with the political metaphor. But that's not what I meant.

Frankly, I'm plumb worn out by this business of living. There's so much to be nervous about these days that I've found it difficult to be present, no matter what it is that I'm doing. A simple jaunt downtown to support local farmers and cart home this week's stock of organically grown produce can lead to an existential crisis complete with tear-stained cheeks before I can get myself out of the crosswalk. I'm torn right down the middle. Either I'm caring far too much about every single ridiculous, destructive human soul or I'm counting down the minutes until whatever doomsday device -- nuclear fallout, killer virus, alien invasion, locusts -- finally delivers Mother Earth her much deserved sweet release from us over-populated masses of idiots who think we have a friggin' clue as to what we're doing here.

I mean, I'm just sayin...

I'm just saying that people have been inhabiting the earth, forming governments and religions and philosophies and sciences and arts and he saids and she saids for thousands and thousands of years and we haven't really made a helluva lot of progress (betcha I can use and in a sentence more times than you and you and you).

I'm just saying that if you found yourself some random quote about government from, say, Napoleon (like I saw somewhere or another today), you'd find yourself scratching your head swearing you heard a political pundit on CNN say that very same thing just last night.

I'm just saying that if you consulted Shakespeare for a lesson in classic storytelling, you'd find that when it comes to the human condition, about the only things that have changed significantly are formalities like clothes and mannerisms.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

What sets me to worrying about having been so hyper-focused on this stuff is that I am now one of two things. Either I am on the slippery slope of taking everything far too seriously; thereby sucking all the fun, beauty and hopeful possibilities out of my one shot at life. Or, I am already at the bottom of said slope and have utterly lost my formerly effortless knack for lightening the fuck up.

See?

Clowns -- Me -- Jokers

I'm just saying that this election has me on edge. Or maybe that's just my excuse of the moment.