Have a pistachio

I flicked on the radio when I got in the car, and a man with a nice voice was telling me how scary the world is. The president of the United States had told an automotive executive to quit, and he obliged without (public) complaint. The Red River had crested, but not before flooding a school and a bunch of homes in Fargo. Some nutbag walked into a nursing home and killed a bunch of people. The U.S. military is deploying a bunch of kids to Afghanistan on behalf of the guy who promised to end the war if elected — oh wait, I guess that was a different war. The EPA is going to monitor the air around 66 schools to see if they're being poisoned. Internet crime up 33 percent last year. Unemployment hit 11 percent in the city where I work. Oh, and there's something in the pistachios.

A person could hear all that, flick off the radio, turn off the car, walk back into the house and hide under the covers. Couldn't blame someone if they did. It's scary out there. Wars and rumors of wars, famines and earthquakes.

But these kinds of things have always been there. We deal. Life goes on. Don't let the fear paralyze your mind. There are folks who'd profit if you become afraid enough to turn over your money and your freedom to them, and not necessarily in that order. Ask yourself if you're scared enough to give those up — better, ask yourself why you're scared. Understanding is the first step towards dealing.

And once you've cleansed the fear and restored a little rationality to your mind, have a pistachio.