ROTHENBURGER — We are fleeting specks of awareness, full of worry
THAT SONG, the one that said, “Don’t worry, be happy,” was a joke, right?
Sometimes I worry that I worry too much.
Other times I worry that I don’t worry enough.
Or worry about the wrong things.
This, I gather, is not uncommon.
I tend to worry about things I mostly can’t control. Like nuclear war, the coming ice age, a meteor colliding with Earth and wiping us all out.
The day-to-day stuff doesn’t bother me. I don’t worry about being T-boned by some texter in an intersection on the way to town, or being compacted to the size of a tin can when a transport truck crosses the centre line on the Yellowhead.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops, former school board chair, former editor of The Kamloops Daily News, and a current director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He was awarded the Jack Webster Foundation’s lifetime achievement award in 2011. His editorials are published Monday through Thursdays, and Saturdays on CFJC Today, CFJC Midday and CFJC Evening News. Contact him at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
1939—– a big year. Sept. Canada declared war on Germany and it’s allies. I was 5 years old. Almost all of you were not yet born. 1941———— The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour. There was a great deal of worrying in North America by then. The Aleutian Islands were invaded. Pretty close to home. The west coast feared an invasion. My old Dad was in the ARP ( air raid patrol) making sure everybody in his allotted patrol area had their windows tarpapered. No light allowed. Cars had hooded headlights.As a world war one vet ( 1914-1919) he was also in the Canadian army reserve as a bren gun carrier driver.My uncle Tom and my granny up in Hammond were packed and ready with all the essentials,to head into the Pitt Lake country if the Japanese arrived. Food,arms and ammo.He was also in the Coast Rangers, a well organized guerrilla type force.made up mostly of ww1 vetts
Yes folks it was seriously worry time in those days. Pipelines,politics and mines hardly entered the picture.
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Worrying without taking some action is something to worry about. Worry should be the impetus to do something, first being to research whether you are worrying for good reason or not.
It is ironic that in modern times we have less to worry about than ever before, yet we worry more than ever. Anxiety is a serious social issue and for many an serious illness.
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