A Year of Disillusionment and Hope

This has been the strangest year of my entire life. From the Tsunami's that rang in the New Year to the War that rages on in Iraq, I am disillusioned. I turned 25 this year, I have been calling it my 1/3 life crisis because I realized there is a good chance I am actually 1/3 the way through my life. I have lost almost all faith in our government, the church, and institutions in general. I desire something something more authentic and I am finding it tough to find it in many places. I had two people who I idolize and who I had become close to in my life pass on, my grandfather, George Ingram and Dr. John Claypool. The hurricanes brought the horrible realities of life to our doorsteps. I am less than 1 hour into 2006 and I am already anxious, even frightened of how we are going to screw this year up. I do, however, have hope. I am a dad, I love my wife, I feel more compassion for my world and fellow human than I ever have in my life, I am, for one of the first times in my life very comfortable with who I am and what I am thinking. I think the tension I find myself in is who to reconcile my personal happiness and hope with the termoil that I feel surrounds me. So there is your depressing, pessimistic New Years post. Happy New Years!
Pax
Stephen