America, the Bloatiful

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Americans have the least savings and greatest debt of any nation in world history.

We have the highest amount of imported manufactured or finished goods in history.
We lead the world in both the exportation of debt and basic commodities.
We have the largest cars, homes and waists of any developed nation.
We have the highest consumption of prescription drugs per capita in the world.
We have the highest rate and amount of incarceration and related expense.
We have the highest cost of health care in the world, along with least covered lives.
We have the largest amount of excess household goods in storage in the world.
We have the largest, most expensive military in the world, than all others together.
We have the largest percentage of single-parent families in the world.
We have the greatest gambling resources and gambling habit in the world..
We have the most expensive education system with some of the poorest results.
We have the most billionaires in the world, and greatest gap between rich and poor in history.
We work the longest hours, with least time off, of any developed country.

 We are a spectacular third world country, in both poverty and extreme wealth.

As much as the wealthy cannot count on educated, healthy workers, workers cannot count on the investment and resources of the rich.
In this financial crash, we see that extreme poverty impoverishes the rich, and that the extreme rich impoverishes the poor.

 Are we ready to grow up and mature as a nation and seek balance, rather than extremes?

A balance of regulation of all markets with free enterprise?

A balance of universal health insurance with cost savings and good care?
A balance of healthy life style with necessary medical intervention?
A balancing of critical thinking in education with preparation for a career?
A balance of incarceration with prevention and rehabilitation?
A balance of knowledge of others with knowledge of self?
A balance of basic material goods with personal fulfillment?
A balance of privacy needs with social needs and obligations?
A balance of national security with constitutional freedoms?
A balance of risk and profit in our financial instruments?
A balance between poverty and oppression and riches and greed?

 For our shared greed, who will show the way?

About Dr. Raynard
Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.

Face Train - no Face Book

by Richard C. Raynard, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Look! There goes FaceTrain rushing by, with people waving, pictures against the window, people going to and from places, banners flying.  We smile or wave back and off they go.  Some are the familiar faces of family and friends, others are unfamiliar or very strange.  All goes by with a silent roar.

FaceTrain

Hardly a connection - more like being left behind.

Wait, it seems like there is a Depot where I can see more personal effects:  a little bio, other traces, but no one is ever there.  At the Depot, I can even find a Timeline of places someone has been to, even some anecdotes, like a travel log.  The train roars on.

I look to the rule book: how to make a connection, or what used to be called a relationship.  Can I get beyond a smile, a wave, a yell?  The rules tell me I can block out, I can follow, and even leave an address for the passengers to look up.  And many more clunky rules about how the train operates - switches, stops, transfers, seating tickets - you know, rules of the road. But where do you meet? The train roars on.

How do I get their attention? I want them to read a book I wrote. I find I need all sorts of pictures, placards, bumper stickers, slogans, billboards, and lures of all kinds, so that I can get their attention as they pass by. Then, if I get "in their face" often enough, some may buy it from the vendor's cart on the train.  Maybe.  The train roars on.

Will we have a conversation?  It's mostly a roll of the dice and life opportunities.  Maybe if I am there when the train stops, or they are there where I stop. It will take a lot to get them off the train.  The train roars on.

Meanwhile, I'll just stumble on besides the tracks.

About Dr. Raynard
Dr. Richard Raynard is a licensed clinical psychologist with 35 years experience resolving a broad range of emotional problems. As a cognitive-behavioral therapist who has specialized in anxiety and phobic disorders since 1980, he has spent the last 35 years fulfilling his life-long desire to explore and define the true purpose of emotions and how people can easily use emotions to create meaning and satisfaction in their lives. Dr. Raynard's series of books on emotions can be found on Amazon.com. His other books include Don't Panic, and Anxiety & Panic Medications.