Awfulizing: It's, like, what I do

As an inveterate news junkie, and one with a cat who simply refuses to let her sleep through the night, I was able to watch the latest air/terror plot unfold on live TV.

I have one friend who is vacationing with her family in Ireland. Since they have family in England, I'm quite sure they plan on flying home through Heathrow so they can squeeze in a visit with loved ones. Her little girl (second or third grade) doesn't like riding the "el" because people are so noisy and mean. Wait till she gets schooled in terrorism on the way home. I am so concerned about what these heightened security features will do to her. It's a scary world. Poor little Rosie.

Then there's my best friend, who happens to be a diabetic and has a new job that will involve air travel each and every week through the end of the year. Since he just moved last week, he doesn't have a driver's license from this new state of residence yet. So his government-issued ID will be from one state, while his e-ticket will show him living in another state, and he'll be carrying a week's worth of insulin in his carry-on. Security is just going to loooove him. I'm so worried about him I can barely stand it.

Don't bother telling me not to worry about situations I can't have an impact on. It's not like I enjoy doing this. If I could figure out how to stop doing this, I would. It's just an ingrained part of my personality.

So I think I'll go work out. I'm having dinner tonight with an old friend, so that will keep me away from the news coverage for a while. I'll do what I can to distract myself.

But I'm scared and sad. Our lives are different, post-9/11. Things are getting worse, not better. My heart is so heavy. I don't like this new world.