Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 26, 1991 TAG: 9102260206
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Kim Sunderland
DATELINE: CHRISTIANSBURG LENGTH: Medium
On the other hand, maybe it's the way the weather teases me with spring-like temperatures and then blasts the area with snow. Or maybe the economic hardships that have befallen folks are causing my anxiety.
What IS it?
I know it's not just because I'm a woman.
I think it's the war.
Everywhere I go, there it is. And everyone I talk to - a lot are women - have complained they feel depressed, full of anxiety, powerless. Yet they don't really know what's bothering them.
I think it's the war.
When you get right down to it, the fact that human beings are stuck in the desert dying is a real tragedy. It's a realization that gnaws at you and follows you around. It is something that, depending on how you choose to deal with it, becomes a part of your everyday life.
And I feel like I can't do a thing about it - except complain, and that helps no one. So I don't say anything.
But according to the experts, that's not the way to handle this war. There are support groups and crisis hot-lines I should call. And the gimmicks that marketing geniuses have devised to "help support the troops" - i.e., requesting John Q. Soldier's favorite song on the radio - also can help you to feel more involved. Plus, almost every city, town and hamlet has staged a rally of some sort.
These are all good ideas, don't get me wrong. But what if you want to escape this war?
For me it's been easy. I quit reading the newspaper (don't tell my boss). I leave the room when CNN or network news is broadcasting. I turn the dial on the radio when it airs war updates.
I don't bring the war up in conversation. I haven't attended a rally, and I see no reason to attend a support group meeting. I mean, I don't know anyone over there.
But this self-imposed silence is starting to wear me down.
Lately, I feel lost. And my New Jersey spunk has been replaced by a complacent belief that this is my decision; I feel no reason to get involved because all it does is upset me.
But this attitude is going to have to change.
Not only have I shut myself off from current events, but also I could very well become socially and politically illiterate. Then I could lose my job. I mean, who wants a shallow reporter?
So now I'm worrying about ridiculous things, you say. But I'm not.
Respected mental health and human service experts say people should talk to family, friends and spouses about their feelings. By opening up, they can communicate all their anxiety and, therefore, reduce their stress levels.
So now I'm trying to talk about it. My boyfriend tells me to lighten up. My friends say write stories in the newspaper demanding that the war be stopped. My dad, a retired Navy chief, wants to travel to Iraq and personally kick Saddam's butt.
So what do you do?
Best as I can tell, you write about it. That's the only thing I can do. I guess I'm lucky I have this outlet, even if I probably won't read it after it's printed.
by CNB