Man’s unquenchable hunger and pursuit of material gain and technical progress, coupled with an intelligence (somewhat) above most other creatures on this planet, has produced the luxuries and amenities of what we call “civilization.” Unfortunately, man’s huge appetite for material wealth - which translates into his sad failure to pursue wisdom — has wrought many troubles and much bewilderment over the social and environmental dilemmas he’s created.

As I’ve written and stated many times before, there’s generally quite a lot for a person to puzzle over and worry about if they feel so inclined: the car breaks down, the clothes washer quits washing, the microwave oven stops micro-waving, or, (horror of horrors!) the TV goes dark and silent.

If you don’t have much money to fix things, you have to worry about and puzzle over how to get some, and, even if you have plenty of money, it’s a worry and puzzlement (I suppose), ’cause you still have to puzzle over and worry about either how to get the stuff fixed, or the trouble of buying new stuff. Whew! Do any of y’all have these problems?

Now, to add to these major traumas and anxieties, there’s global warming and the soaring price of gasoline. Even Christian folks who aren’t supposed to worry about tomorrow, worry about tomorrow, next week … even next year. What’s a body to do?

Well, Christian or not, there’s one thing that you can do that works pretty well — at least for a while. It’s the old “compared-to” exercise: Go on the Internet (if your computer ain’t broke-down yet, or again) and read about the horrors being perpetrated on the Christian and other non-Muslim peoples of Dafur. If you have the misfortune of being one of these, you only have two major worries to face nearly every day — either starving to death or being murdered.

Compared to those worries, a broken TV or computer fades into insignificance. Compared to puzzling over how to merely stay alive one more day, will cause the puzzle of stopping global warming or lowering the high gas prices to dim into obscurity. You might even consider sending these poor souls a little money.

I’m a great admirer of the 1956 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein musical “The King and I” which is set in the 1860s. The main character, the King of Siam, wants to bring his country into the “modern” world. He is puzzled and worried about how much things have changed and how difficult the world has become. He’s pacing about, very worried, and singing a very comical little song in his broken English. Here’s a bit of it:

“When I was a boy, World was better spot. What was so was so, What was not was not. Now I am a man; World have changed a lot ... Some things nearly so, others nearly not!

There are times I almost think I am not sure of what I absolutely know. Very often find confusion In conclusion I concluded long ago … In my head are many facts That, as a student, I have studied to procure,

In my head are many facts … Of which I wish I was more certain I was sure!

There are times I almost think Nobody sure of what he absolutely know.

Everybody find confusion In conclusion he concluded long ago

And it puzzle me to learn That tho’ a man may be in doubt of what he know, Very quickly he will fight ... He’ll fight to prove that what he does not know is so!”

The king finishes his exasperated singing by loudly proclaiming: “Every day I do my best for one more day! But ... Is a puzzlement!”

Yeah, I guess that ’bout says it all.

T&D Columnist Rush Button can be reached by e-mail at buttonrl@aol.com or by phone at 803-534-3724. His column appears every Tuesday.

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