the summer of anxiety

by Ari Holtz

Published: May 26, 2008

Memorial Day weekend is upon us, marking the psychological start of summer. The American summer is a hallowed time; it is a season for mental, if not physical, leisure. Many people work less – hours are shorter, long weekends are more frequent. For others it is a state of mind. Attitudes are easier, life seems slower. Children are out of school. Their freedom, indulging in lazy days of swimming, socializing and taking up summer jobs adds to the essence of the season. Relaxation is the key idea, if not in practice than at least aspiration.

Not this summer, however. Not in 2008. This summer is all about anxiety.

On Thursday morning, news sites greeted readers with talk of $135-per-barrel oil and $4-per-gallon gasoline. So much for that economical weekend vacation to the beach or the lake. Further, American Airlines announced a reduction in flights, imminent layoffs and a $15 charge for checking a single bag. All of these are ominous signs of casual travel becoming untenable for middle-class America.

Vacations, however, may be the least of our problems. Tens of thousands have lost their homes. Others are unable to get loans for houses or cars, further hurting desperate homeowners who need to sell and American car companies struggling to stay solvent.

The stock market is all over the place. American companies are shaving jobs left and right. Food prices are soaring. The task of making the average American household function as it has become accustomed to is becoming increasingly difficult. Hard choices are afoot.

The bigger picture is no less unsettling. The war in Iraq stumbles forward aimlessly. We continue to be under, according to our government, an elevated terror threat at home. Is anyone even looking for Osama Bin Laden anymore? Economically, the news wires are rampant with long-term predictions of $10-$15-per-gallon gas within the next 5 years and an accompanying financial crisis.

There is much to fret about.

What are we to do? Repress all of the panic inducing information and enjoy our lemonade, baseball games and barbeques? Lobby the government to put Xanax in municipal water supplies? Give in to the pressure and just collectively freak out?

Good options are few and subtle. Pragmatism is vital. We need to watch our budgets more, make more nuanced and prudent choices about where our money goes, and do our best to prepare for an uncertain future.

A complete focus on dark predictions and tough choices, however, would be unfortunate. Lightness of being is essential. Whimsy and enjoyment are crucial. We need to not just survive these trying times, but to maintain joy throughout them. We are challenged to be creative and innovative in taking care of ourselves, resources and means being as scarce as they are.

This all means a focus on things that can seem cliché. Family. Friends. Simple pleasures that nurture our hearts and our souls. As anxiety thrusts its insidious tentacles into our lives, we need to take sensible steps. More so, though, we need to return to the things that truly make America great. And those things do not involve dollar signs, stock values or gas prices.

Yes, financial struggle makes life harder. If it brings with it, however, the by-product of returning Americans’ focus to what are our true strengths – the joy of living, resilience and innovation – history may look back on the summer of 2008 as the time that made us larger, not smaller.

Happy Memorial Day, and happy summer.

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