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November/December 2008
Those are the immortal words of Chicken Little. And from the sound of the news, I wish that was all we had to worry about. There's the stock market. And what I know about that monstrosity would not fill a yellow sticky note. It sounds like a situation in which folks who don't have enough money ask people to give them some money in exchange for a piece of paper that one day can be worth a whole lot — and the next day be as worthless as money from your Monopoly game.
"What happened to your money?"
"Well, your money went to the guy who traded his Monopoly money for real money, and he probably buried it in his backyard in a coffee can."
"And, will you get it back?"
"Probably not."
But I digress. Back to this problem of worry.
We worry about our children. We worry about budgets. We worry about school board meetings. We worry about house payments. We worry about our health.
And everywhere you turn, you find something else to worry about. We see the gasoline prices and worry about it going even higher. We sit still on a six-lane freeway because traffic has completely stopped — and we worry. We worry about war and crime and hurricanes and our next elected leaders.
Yes, oh yes. We worry. We worry a lot.
Joseph Cossman is quoted as saying, "If you want to test your memory, try to recall what you were worrying about one year ago today."
What exactly are we worrying about? Well, statistics show the following: 40 percent on things that never happen; 35 percent on things that can't be changed; 15 percent on things that turn out better than expected; 8 percent on useless, petty worries.
In other words, according to these numbers, 98 percent of our worry is a waste of time. So, what are some things that you can do to take your mind off the troubles of the world? Well, I've got a good one: Go spend time with children.
That's it. Plain and simple. I don't care if it's grandchildren, children in a first grade classroom, a Sunday school class, a Brownie troop, or just some neighborhood kids you know. Sit down with them and ask some questions. Go ahead...sit cross-legged on the floor. I dare you. In fact, I double-dog dare ya!
Their wit is amazing. Their laughter is contagious. Their smiles are irrepressible. And, here's my money-back guarantee. If you don't forget your troubles, I'll...I'll...I'll buy you a Coke!
"Blessed is the person who is too busy to worry in the daytime and too sleepy to worry at night." — Unknown
RINEY JORDAN, whose best-selling book, "All the Difference," is now in its fifth printing, is an international speaker and humorist. He can be reached at riney@htcomp.net or by visiting
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"Oh, my goodness! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!"