A friend of mine called this morning and mentioned my (and his) “existential crisis.” He’s a stalwart fellow and I appreciate the sympathy, but I’m actually not having one. I did get a bit exercised over any number of thoughts during the last few days, and writing is frequently how I process all the stress. It must have worked, because today I’m fairly calm about the following:

1. The imaginary wealth of banks

2. Aging

3. Finding a better house & studio

4. My 87-year-old mother

5. What people will say about me when I’m dead

6. The false lure of “going back” (to anywhere)

7. Buying a dental implant instead of a new Mac

8. All my unused gifts & unfulfilled desires

9. Obama being swallowed by the Democratic establishment

10. The neighbors’ goddamned abandoned cats [oops]

11. Netroots as magic beans

12. Lumps

13. The irreconcilable death of American uniqueness

14. Losing weight

15. The shortest summer in the world

16. A pension fund collapse

17. Ecosystem death

18. Endless war

19. Money

20. Defrosted steaks going bad

21. Boring postponed Web work

Etc. etc.

I could go on, but it’s getting harder to think of things, which means I must be okay. And realizing yesterday just who (or what) is boss took tons of pressure off, naturally.