"...And The Old Words Best of All."

So, the economy is in sad shape. A depression looms on the horizon. Banks around the world face certain collapse. In short, we're all a bit worried about the coming months.

But I'm not here to preach the apocalypse. None of us really need a reminder of how bad things are or are heading. We seek escape, humor, and amusement. And those three things I can successfully deliver (or at least attempt with some level of effort).

I remember back eight years ago to a night I was venturing to Akron, Ohio for a fun-filled night of frightening karaoke. While driving down into the valley, I drove over a patch of thick gravel and dirt washed across the road days before in a torrential downpour. The tires railed to grip the loose material and I began careening out of control. I turned the wheel to no avail.

An epiphany struck me. No matter what I tried to do, things were going to follow in a predetermined path. I was a mere spectator now and no amount of effort on my part would change that. So I rode the adventure out. I escaped a totaled car with very minor injuries. Yet I left with something deeper: the knowledge that panicking solves nothing.

The same goes for our current times. We can throw fits, curse politicians, and riot. But will that make the direction change? Not on your life!

Turn back the clock some 70 years. travel to England, facing imminent war with Germany. King George VI created a bit of propaganda genius to reassure the citizens that everything that could be done was being done by the country and the Crown.

"Keep Calm and Carry On."

Though the planned posters never were released in large quantities, a few survived. They graphic has made a resurgence in our current times, printed on shirts and bags from several sources. I am extremely tempted to get my own, simply because it applies to so many things on so many levels.

That's the message we all need to hear and uphold. Life has its ups and down, but it keeps going. Let what happens happen, never forget your sense of humor, and do what your ancestors have done for millennia: make do with what you have and play the cards as they fall. It may sound simple, but that's life. We make our lives as complex as they are when they really don't have to be. And any situation does have that bit of humor or positive though if you dig deep enough.

And it shall continue. Life shall continue. And no matter how rough the course may be, it will certainly be amusing, funny, and nothing short of a great adventure.