Into Another, 30th Day of Spring, 525 M.E. (Atlas): The final reasons my blood pressure has been elevated, on top of my car in the shop for two weeks, the crack in the windshield of the loaner car, multiple tornado warnings, and credit-card fraud, are politics and the economy.

The Trump administration claims they're not going to cut Social Security benefits if you believe them, but they've been relentlessly attacking the Social Security Administration, laying off staff, closing offices, cutting telephone service, and claiming wide-spread fraud. It's just a matter of time before they say they "have" to stop payments to "reduce waste" or "eliminate fraud" or some such bullshit.

I was taught since early in my working career to not rely on Social Security alone for retirement money. "If it's available, great," I was told, "but plan for it not being there." I took their advice and in truth, I can survive without the benefits (although they will be sorely missed), but at the same time, the reckless assault on the federal bureaucracy and the feckless imposition of tariffs has caused the stock market to crater. Along with the plummeting Dow and S&P, the monetary value of IRAs and 401(k)s have dropped, including mine and most likely yours, too. 

My IRA was my fall back plan in case Social Security disappeared, and Social Security was my hedge against fluctuating IRA values. But the Trump administration is destroying both, simultaneously. Meanwhile, the price of everything, from eggs and groceries to clothes, car parts, and electronics, is skyrocketing due to tariffs and general fiscal mismanagement. Even if I tried to tighten my belt and ride through diminished Social Security benefits and lower IRA value, it will be nearly impossible to get by due to runaway inflation, a looming recession, and higher prices. 

Meanwhile, I'm hemorrhaging cash as I pay for car repairs (yes, the most recent repair was free - no charge - but that was only after nearly $3,000 in other repairs, service and maintenance), I accidentally booked two non-refundable hotel stays, and I incurred all kinds of costs during my annual Big Ears vacation getaway. All this while I dodge multiple waves of severe weather including tornado watches and warnings, and battle the hackers and thieves who stole my credit card from my mailbox and are trying to rack up charges on my account.

The miracle, here, is that after a bout of slight elevation, my blood pressure has actually returned to "normal" levels (i.e., <120/80).