Maybe it gets better

My email feed is a litany of need. There are so many causes anxiously urging support; so many people pleading for help; so many demands on my wallet and time. And no matter how often I unsubscribe they keep finding me. I feel like tossing the computer out the window, but instead I send a little money here and a little more there, never satisfied that I'm doing enough.

I long for the days when I opened email and saw messages from friends. Now I just get asks.

This email problem isn't mine alone, and it contributes to ongoing anxiety over the state of our nation, the state Trump's mind, the state of Kim Jong-un's mind, increasing racial tension, climate change, and now the shocking Texas flood.

Stress is the word of the day, and even if we aren't directly involved with the events in Houston, we can't help but feel the pain and loss, albeit to a lesser degree. Watching a video a few days ago of an elderly man being pulled from his flooded home caused me to burst into tears. The power and unexpectedness of that reaction had, I think, less to do with me or the old man, and more to do with the current zeitgeist.

But we can't simply wail about our problems. That old man was being rescued by a fellow citizen, and he's not alone. Hundreds, if not thousands of people have turned to neighbors, friends, and strangers for help and it has gladly been given. Maybe we're not as bad as we think.

This constant churn of email—frustrating as it is—is the result of many people working to make things better. They are protecting our Constitution. They are working to heal the earth and the animals, plants, and wild places that benefit each of us. They are struggling against racism and poverty, or raising money for the victims of Charlottesville. They are in courts saving our water and protecting us from dangerous chemicals. They are stepping up to run for office. I can't recall a time when so many were so active in causes of every kind. Surely this is a good thing.

I believe our thoughts have power. If we can trade our frustration and anxiety for belief and action, maybe we can change the world—at least our own piece of it. Maybe I'll quit seeing all those emails as a problem and instead spend time every morning cheering on the senders as they go about their work. Maybe what it takes for anything to change is simply seeing the problem differently. Maybe we can change the zeitgeist. Maybe it's worth a try.