Life In a Ball of Anxiety

When you spent just over half of last year living the good life in Europe, it is very hard not to think back to where you were this time last year...especially during your long commute to work when pondering the fact that gas is $4.17 a gallon.
     On that note, this time last year, I was in Munich with Farren and Sabine enjoying German style May Day festivities. I remember that clearly because this week marks the one year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. We first heard about it while eating lunch on our last day in Munich.
     Back to reality...when I got home from the gym tonight, I learned my cousin Taylor (who has been serving in Afghanistan for the past year), is on his way home, physically safe and sound. What a relief. He's got some powerful guardian angels! My heart breaks at the thought of all the (to me) unfathomable things he's witnessed in the past year...I am very proud of my young, courageous cousin. I'm not sure I could do the same.
     Speaking of Afghanistan, I just watched a 60 Minutes report that accuses Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea, of falsifying parts of his books and claims his Central Asia Institute has mismanaged a large amount of funds. Time will tell if these allegations are true, and if they are, I will be extremely disappointed. Three Cups of Tea is part of the reason I began to think about my contributions to the world on a more manageable person to person, community-based level...instead of following the Generation Me tendency to think that I would immediately define, come up with, and contribute something fantastic and unique to the entire country, state, or whatever. Yes, Mortenson (along with Gandhi and Dr. Paul Farmer) got me thinking about the 'Power of One.' Let's hope Mortenson is the person he portrays himself to be. If not, I'll have to stop telling everyone to read his books...I sincerely hope 60 Minutes got it wrong, but, no matter the outcome, it seems Mortenson has done a lot of good, especially when it comes to educating girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
I needed to write-out some anxiety...am currently finding it difficult to be too terribly confident that I will get my way and get into the teaching credential program I just applied to. I don't find out until early May, and fear I will be trapped in a ball of largely unwarranted anxiety until then. Lord help me when I have a legitimate problem to worry about.