Perhaps the understatement of the year would be to say that we live in a time of economic uncertainty.
Scour the headlines featured in major news outlets, and you will quickly learn the latest in recession-proof tricks to save cash at the supermarket or what counties across the nation are currently suffering the worst unemployment rates.
Yes, without any hint of uncertainty, America is enduring one of the harshest times in its history. Yet, what are we supposed to do? How should we respond other than by giving our goddamn best shot at leading a decent and fulfilling life?
Take another gander at The New York Times or CNN.com and you'll read about the recent tragedies that are making their way into water cooler conversation. Just down the road in Clearwater, three men, two of which were NFL players, presumably lost their lives in the wake of a fishing trip gone terribly wrong. Word out of Pakistan informs us of a terrorist attack on a Sri Lankan cricket team that left players and coaches injured after gunfire riddled their bus with bullet holes.
Yes, even the semi-charmed lives of professional athletes are not guaranteed a tomorrow. For the Sri Lankan cricket team, will their ever-so-close brush with death cause them to reassess their outlook on life? If they had perished, would the members of the team have been satisfied with what they accomplished during their short time on Earth?
The unfortunate incidents in Florida and across the globe paint a stark picture that should serve to remind us that we are guilty of taking our lives far too seriously.
We must dig hard and dig deep to find some semblance of good to come out of our country's dire state of affairs. Perhaps a return to the core values of America can work to reunite a country that has placed too much of an emphasis on the materialistic, tangible items of disillusionment that have bred a corrosion of morals and ethics.
To say that life is fleeting comes across as nothing more than a trite cliché that gets recycled and regurgitated every few months or so.
Yet, when people fail to heed such advice, do we really even retain the right to declare that this adage is overused? Do we not need an occasional reminder to keep from falling victim to the stress that stems from factors out of our control?
We can only begin to guess how much time we have left on Earth - that is not to say we are suggesting you give up everything and become a missionary or a priest.
Rather, simply be grateful for what little (or what riches) you may have - a shortcoming few are more guilty of than this very author. Those blessed souls who can find pleasure in the things that come without a price tag are, indeed, the true lucky ones.
Surely this will not occur overnight, but rather should be viewed as a gradual process that will eventually reap the fruits of your labor if you should choose such a righteous path.
As we go our separate ways for the week - whether to Acapulco or simply a quick jaunt home - the Editorial Board implores you to take a deep breath and catch yourself before you get caught up in a stressful financial situation that easily could have been avoided.
So what if you had to dish out $8 for a bottle of Corona at the bar or your mom yelled at you for spending too much money during a shopping spree at the mall?
You are young, you are alive and even in the worst of times, you will eventually find your way.
Nothing seems more apropos than to steal a line from Against Me!'s Tom Gabel: "Please tell me I'm not the only one that thinks we're taking ourselves too seriously/Just a little too enamored with inflated self-purpose."
At least for us, it rings far too true.
