The "Rat Race"

Like most people, thoughts of the economy as well the upcoming presidential election, have been circulating in my mind over and over. I've tried to step back and gain some perspective on the whole situation, collecting all my thoughts into one pile.
How are these things going to affect me, my family, life in my bubble? All I've heard from every direction is how things are bad, the job market, the housing market, people losing jobs and homes (several my own friends). Gas prices, food prices reflecting the gas prices. It's enough to really make one scared. What's going to happen? Who's going to fix it, and how? How bad will it get? Have we hit rock bottom or is the worse still to come? Is there no hero among us? Just kidding. (I've watched too many superhero cartoons.) I have been guilty of these fears. But, one can only live in fear so long and then it's time for faith. Which let me just sidetrack for a minute to say how grateful I am for my faith, my testimony of our Heavenly Father's plan, and our leaders who I believe truly receive revelation for us living in this day and age.

Now, having said that, here's what I think. I think we have been living a life so fast, so complex. Constantly trying to reach something that's just outside our grasp. I think we're a busy people. There is so much to do, to think and worry about. Life has sped up so much in even the last 5-10 years.
So, in some ways, I am grateful for the economic trials we face right now. It's my out. My chance to step out of the rat race. Is anyone else exhausted? I've often expressed to my mom how it's so tiring living in this "rat race", but what do you do? This is the world we live in, the place where we live, you really don't have a choice but to run along. There are so many facets in our life and somehow we feel the need to reach perfection in all of them.

Children's activities: We want our children to have opportunities, to try anything they have an interest in, to find their "niche". And so, we sign them up in a different sport every season, take them to piano or karate or dance and gymnastics for an experience different than just athletics because we want our little cherubs to be well rounded. We start them younger and younger because if they aren't in a certain sport by age 5 or 6, they're behind. Then there's "club sports" which are so expensive! Yet we feel compelled to enroll our children in because if you don't do "club" your kids will never play high school sports and sometimes even junior high sports. Again the rat race, there are so many parents willing to put in the time and money required that if your child hasn't played club sports before trying out in high school, they are in the minority and thus at a major disadvantage. So we spend hundreds of dollars a month so our kids can play "club ball" so they can have a chance at playing school sports so they can.....what, play college and then go pro? I don't know. (I just keep running and try to ask these questions to other people in the "race" but most people don't really know, they're too focused on running and running fast.)
And so we go, we shuffle our children to and from cub scouts, sports practices, after school clubs, all of these great opportunities for our children, right?

Nutrition: K, seriously, did they even have the food pyramid when I was little? Now, we have to worry about organic food, vitamins, omega 3's, antioxidants. Have my kids had enough calcium and protein today? What about vegetables, fruits, (when was the last time they even had a fruit or vegetable?), 8 glasses of water? Have they had their Airborne to keep them from picking up that cold that's going around? Gluten-free, dairy-free, peanut-free....I've never seen so many food allergies. They even have a table at our school, that to my surprise is filled all day long, designated for only these children, placed against the wall, far away from any other table as to not cross contaminate, I guess.

Our homes: Are the walls painted, each room decorated with a theme or coordinating pictures and furniture? Do we have enough trinkets and plants and pineapple top looking things around the house, above the cupboards, on shelves, on any empty counter space with books that are only there because the color of the book spines match the motif of the house? Is my house immaculate at all times because what will people say if they stop by unannounced and it looks like someone is actually living in our house? Is my lawn perfectly manicured and my car clean and shiny? Because heaven forbid a bush grow out of control or it looks like you actually drive your car, toting around 4 kids from school to soccer to scouts and dance and then to football and by McDonald's for dinner before practice (and then feeling immense guilt for the "poison" you are feeding your kids.)

Moving up, the next big thing: Always progressing, right? Never content. There are bigger homes, nicer cars, boats, four wheelers, and rhino's. Do my kids have the Wii and if not, how sad for them, they can't be the only ones without it so I'll wait in line for it to be stocked in the store at midnight. What, rock band? (I do love rock band) They can't be without that! We've turned into flat screen, high def, blue ray, gps, texting freaks! (I'm convinced we are raising a generation of non-communicators, nobody talks anymore, they just text!)
Cell phones! Oh my gosh, several of my fifth graders friend's have cell phones! Why? Who do they need to talk to? And who the heck needs to get a hold of them so badly?

Even the service we give at our schools, in our church callings, it's been blown out of control. Outdo, outplan everyone else. Cutesy, artsie-fartsie stuff. Even good things can be overwhelming, canning, planning, journaling, praying, teaching, fellowshipping, scripture class, being a good mom, being a good wife. Am I enough? Is it enough? We all think it at one time or another. It's enough to make a mom go crazy and the sad thing is, a lot of moms are. Not looney-bin crazy but there are more and more women suffering from depression, anxiety, so much pressure, they're cracking. I'm not saying all these things mentioned above are bad or wrong, it's just the way it is.

We are running this "race" constantly looking over our shoulder and at the person running next to us, completely exhausted, but refusing to give up. If you slow down, you'll just get trampled, left behind. You'll be alone, no one else is slowing down. Who will your friends be, what will people think? But now, now everyone is slowing down, even walking. Many people have no choice, they are forced to. Now, it's socially acceptable to lower expectations, go without, scale back. I feel I've been given permission to step out of the rat race for awhile. It's a good feeling to be able to catch your breath. And so I walk and I am content. Life is good. Life is getting simpler and simple is good. When I think about letting go of some of the things that once mattered so much, I feel my shoulders relax, I feel my mind slowdown, a smile of contentment literally crosses my face and I feel like I can exhale. Ahhh....mental yoga.