What counts as Important these days

There's a scandal brewing on American Idol. Michael's a pervert....maybe....but he's still one messed up individual. We are going to see the last episode of Star Wars dissected by everybody who can spell it before it even hits the screen. Somewhere, someone trying to die isn't going to be allowed to do so, and the media will find him or her, and allow us to share in their misery. Trent Lot is going to finally get his day in "court", and his cronies will suggest once again his judgment needs a slight adjustment, but he'll be released back into the wild to rake in some more money. Meanwhile, us regular people with distressingly regular lives will face our REAL truths without much attention, precious little sympathy, and no dignified way to deal with them. But that's all right, because there was a time, long ago, when men and women knew what was really important, survival. And it was delicious! It spawned every emotion known to man and it was REAL. You put away enough wood and hay for the winter or you didn't. Some credit card wasn't going to hold you over till spring. And bill collectors didn't come to try collecting something you flat didn't have. But, if you made it, you paid that guy what you owed him, cause it was your own personal honor you were protecting, not his bottom line. You neighbors? You knew them, they knew you, and survival suggested you not screw with each other in case time came you needed each other. Now there are barbarians at the gates, the kind of horde we can no longer meet on a level playing field, and when they notice us, we're screwed. My friends, there but for the grace of whoever go us all. Enjoy your periods of grace and peace, while you have them. You can tug on those bootstraps of yours all you want, if the beast wants you, you're dead meat. But remember, they can never take away that center within you that makes living worth the effort. Whatever cog in the machine you happen to be, remember, you can't be replaced, the machine WILL continue to run, it just will never run as smoothly, ever again. Take comfort in that.
That, my friends, is what's important.......or else nothing is.