Emotional Fire

Decisons are made that can't be explained.  They're usually based on pure emotion or 'gut'.  We've all been there. 

The real estate market in Baton Rouge went crazy in about a two-week time span.  People were buying houses sight unseen like it was nothing.  They had no idea if they could return home and feared not being able to live anywhere near New Orleans if they didn't buy.  Many residents of Jefferson have since moved back and taken losses on houses they owned for less than a month.  Most of these decisions were done on pure emotion without much rationale.  Not because the decision makers lacked the ability but because the situation had no precedent.  Or take something simple as having a bad day and shopping because it may relieve stress.  Then, later, wondering why the need arose for the latest impractical Sharper Image gadget.

I was reading my friend Ian's blog about coincidence the other day and I really had to take a step back and think.  His premise was simple.  Why worry about things in life if it all happens for a reason?  I commented on his post because I'm having trouble with this.  I'm trying to take a step back to figure out how to possibly instill this method of thinking in the people I love.  I'm around many emotionally sick people every day.  Heartbreaking is the only word I can come up with for it. 

I can't imagine being in my 50's or older and working my ass off for everything and then having it all taken away from me in a day.  I would have been five years from being virtually debt-free planning retirement and now I would have to work the rest of my life.  My kids would never have an inheritance.

My sister has always laid that 'everything happens for a reason' line on me numerous times and now, I think, even she is having serious trouble following that logic.  She and Ian may be right but it never offers closure or a solution.  I have trouble living life like that.