This is Day 2 of "The Coop" - a diary haven for the Chicken Littles among us who want a safe place to vent anxiety and fear. Fair Warning: If you are upset or annoyed by the freaked out, this diary is not suitable viewing! We already know how you feel, trust us. We get it. We're bugging you. You're working hard to stay motivated and focused; you don't need to be distracted by those fearing All is Lost. However....if you are having election anxiety dreams featuring a Daily Kos poll banner with the McCain/Obama numbers tied - c'mon in. The Xanax is on the house. I'll post a "Coop" diary every evening from now through Monday. If you need reassurance or just to scream without fear of being labelled a concern troll, this is for you.
As I explained in yesterday's diary, I have OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder. One of the symptoms of OCD is terrible anxiety manifested in repetitive ruminative thoughts that are very disruptive and can be paralyzing. People with OCD sometimes craft "rituals" (the compulsions) to relieve the anxiety and thus protect themselves from the anticipated feared consequence.
My OCD does not include political anxiety, but anxiety is a state I'm very familiar with and I have a lot of compassion for sufferers. It's easy to observe that anxiety has another side effect: it frequently pisses other people off. And it's true, it can get annoying. For a crash course in anxiety-sufferers versus the pissed-off, visit the Daily Kos tracking poll thread. It can be hard to express a worry or even ask a question without invoking the Wrath of the Annoyed. So post your fears, your concerns, your worries - how is political anxiety about Election 2008 disrupting your life? I'll offer what reassurance I can, a sympathetic ear, and a couple of encouraging music Youtubes.
Because I'm in a fighting mood today, here is Bruce Springsteen's version of the fantastic civil rights song,"Eyes on the Prize." And remember - The only thing we did was wrong/ was staying in the wilderness too long/keep your eyes on the prize/ hold on / Only thing we did was right/ was the day we started to fight....