Reassurance: There have always been uncertain times
It is all too easy to see this as the worst it’s ever been, because of all the uncertainty. But that’s simply not the case. I spent some time in Boston in May, which allowed me to finish a book called ‘The Curse of the Kennedys’.
History is such a good leveller when you consider the facts. In the book, I was reminded of the assassination of a US President, a US senator and a civil rights activist. Plus the death of a global female star. Then you add the Bay of Pigs to that and how close the world came to another world war…..
Scary times. I can’t imagine how we would have reacted to these events in today’s world.
The difference now is that news spreads so much quicker around the world than it did in the 60s, and this makes the world seem like a much scarier place. You hear all the bad stories from all around the world, not just those on your doorstep. But when you look at events back then, scary things were happening, things that will have really derailed people’s sense of stability and safety.
I don’t know what the future will bring. Ultimately, tragic events happen. The why of it all is often unknown and none of us are promised tomorrow.
But what I do know is that many of us have found ways to deal with the challenges that life brings, that we will get through it taking each day at a time, just as people did back then.
And it’s worth remembering that bad news sells far quicker than good news, which tips the stress balance significantly when there are now so many ways to ‘consume’ news every minute of every day.
Someone asked me recently; how do I deal with the ups and downs in life. For me, it’s about believing none of what you see and read or maybe just half of it, and to do one thing each day that puts a smile on your face.
Oh and one silver lining for me, England men’s team won the football World Cup in 1966…is this the time?