I’m Sorry About All Those Forest Fires | Eastern NC Now

    I'm Sorry About All Those Forest Fires
I am determined not to make the same mistake again.

    For years I have felt guilty every time I heard news broadcasts about a forest fire burning and destroying everything in its path anywhere in the United States. I felt personally responsible. Many nights I found it hard to sleep.

    I sought counseling but that did not help. The visual impression of Smokey Bear was more powerful than the soothing words of my psychiatrist. I could not get out of my mind the voice of Smokey Bear pointing at me in those TV commercials and saying,



"Only you can prevent forest fires."
    I did not know how I had started those fires but I knew I must have. After all, would Smokey Bear Kid Me?

    Now I find myself in a new but similar dilemma. The News Media, as recently as this very day, is telling me that it is up to me to keep the U.S. Economy solvent by going out and shopping. I want to do the right thing. I don't want the economic collapse of the entire country on my conscience but I am not sure about the ground rules...
    

• How much should I buy each day?
• Do I have to have need for what I buy or is the important thing just to keep buying?
• Can I buy the same thing over and over or do I have to spread my buying around in order to benefit more varied parts of the economy?
• If I spend everything I have and go into bankruptcy, will the government bail me out?
• If the government does bail me out, have I done more harm than good?

    It did not help things at all when, in April 2001, Smokey changed his message to, "Only You Can Prevent Wildfires". That same look and his finger pointed directly at me, made me feel as guilty as ever.

    Getting out of this one is not going to be easy. To compound my dilemma, my psychiatrist has retired. Anyone know where I can get counseling?

    Would I kid u?
    Smartfella