You might have seen this cartoon dog and these flames before. The artwork has become popular on “memes” which satirize people who are oblivious — or in denial — that their world is falling apart around them.
I feel like the little cartoon dog. I feel as though the world is on fire around me. The economy seems to be collapsing. The political system is in a dangerous shambles. The broader culture is a dysfunctional cesspool which is driven by idiots who are out of touch with reality.
But it’s not just the broader outside world. My own life is burning down, at least by the standards of what I expected and what I wanted — and even by the vision of what I believe is possible for my life.
I’m sitting here passively — in the metaphorical sense — and I’m watching the chaos play out all around me. I’m not doing anything about it because I haven’t figured out how to fix everything. I keep functioning as though everything is normal.
But inside, I am painfully aware that this is not fine. Something has to change.

Memory Lane is seductive when
Listen to Samuel’s ancient warning to Israel about anointing a ruler: ‘…you shall be his slaves’
Folks all around are waiting for someone to say, ‘Hello in there’
Steve Jobs goes out as iconoclastic visionary many of us long to be
Obama channeling Heinlein’s ghost: ‘…we’ve had a run of bad luck’
World has become a freak show, but we’re not supposed to notice
Ethicists argue for killing newborns, say it’s just as moral as abortion
I’m terribly sorry to break it to you, but straw polls mean nothing
Egypt trying to prove democracy means tyranny of the majority