I woke up today anxious. There was an overwhelming sense of dread as if something horrific had happened while I slept. I resisted the urge to look at the news on my smartphone. I resisted the urge to check in on Facebook. Instead I read a book about cancer on my ipad.
Pondering this feeling of dread I tried hard to think back to a time in my life when I was mostly not aware and not anxious. When I say, “not aware”, I mean I was just living a normal life with no yoga and no meditation and honestly, no need for it. I tried to remember the year my son, now 20, was born…1997. Did I had a cell phone? Yes. It was a clunky thing and didn’t even flip. It never rang. I still called most people from my home phone. I quit working that year when I had my son. At work, I had a big clunky desktop I would load on a cart and drag from client to client. We had dial up.
I didn’t have a computer at home.
I wasn’t aware of food. I remember driving to work, pregnant, and eating bagels in the car. For lunch I’d go to the deli and I loved nothing more than Lemon Meringue Pie for a treat. I loved potato chips and French fries and had no guilt eating them daily. I couldn’t eat enough strawberries and I know I never bothered to buy organic. I don’t even think it was a “thing” in 1997. Being pregnant I gave up diet coke, coffee, and wine but that was it. I never worked out.
I’m trying to remember what was important in my life. We watched a lot of college football. We had friends over for dinner. I’d meet girlfriends at the mall and we’d drool over Louis Vuitton purses. I decorated my house. There were trips to parks and zoos and such, but I don’t remember being overcome by sadness thinking of deforestation and the loss of animal species to man. The Kyoto Climate Change conference happened and I was aware of man made global warming, but I wasn’t afraid. I thought we’d figure it out. I looked forward to ER and loved George Clooney and would schedule activities around watching that show weekly. We rented movies from a video store down the street. Bloopers was the only reality show I can remember. I had a 35 mm camera and was obsessed with photography.
My politics were Republican and I never cared about gender or race. I thought Howerd Stern was disgusting. I hated South Park. I was surprised when Ellen came out. I cried when Princess Diane and Mother Teresa died. I hated Bill Clinton. I lost ½ of my 401(k) when the market crashed that year.
Reviewing the news of 1997, it was all there. All the stuff we have now. Nothing is new with the exception of access and speed. I’d argue we have lost IQ and attention span. The world, however, turns slowly and I take deep breaths and remind myself of that fact. The mind if fast…the world is slow.
1997:
- Ohio State (my alma mater) went to the Rose Bowl and won.
- Virtual Pets were the big toy!
- The dow hit a record high of 7,000
- US acknowledges “secret war” in Laos.
- US asks for forgiveness for syphilis experiments done on African Americans.
- Pathfinder landed on Mars.
- Gianni Versace is murdered by gun by someone with mental illness.
- Shooting at Pearl High School.
- Teletubbies
- Shooting at Heath High School.
- Ivanka Trump was on the cover of 17 magazine.
- George Clooney was still on ER.
*The sole purpose of these articles is to provide information about the tradition of ayurveda, yoga, and meditation. This information is not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of any disease. If you have any serious acute or chronic health concern, please consult a trained health professional who can fully assess your needs and address them effectively. Check with your doctor before taking herbs or using essential oils when pregnant or nursing.