> It's been all over the news for the past two weeks. There is a crazed gunman in the Maryland, D.C., Virginia area. Thus far, 8 people have been shot; one of them being a 13 year old boy as he stood outside of the junior high school he attended. These random attacks have left so many people afaid to carry on with daily activities; myself included. I live not even 10 minutes away from where a woman was shot by this crazed marksman, who is still at large, in a shopping center parking lot. I am finding it difficult to head off to work and to class every day without glancing over my shoulder at two minute intervals.
> Maybe it's just me, under the influence of the recent unpleasantness, but it really seems we are headed into a downward spiral after reaching the new milenium. The Sept.11th events, the upcomming war with Iraq, severe droughts in most parts of the country, West Nile virus, etc. I could go on and on and I hope the earth could too.
> Gee, I hope I didn't depress anyone too much.
> Slinkster"if you need me I'll be hiding under my bed"cool

A few periods of depression are pretty normal in a lifetime, but you will likely survive. I had a few depressing moments in my life. It included such stuff as the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Cold War, the Draft, unbelievable pollution (Hazard, Ky, 1940's) Polio Epidemics, Vietnam, The Nixon Era, poverty, parents who smoked themselves to death, 9-11, two hurricanes, the Cuban Missle Crisis, a couple of car wrecks, and athletes foot. But I survived and a recent visit to my doctor revealed that my blood pressure is normal. Still, it doesn't hurt to look over your sholder once in a while.
Howard