Crisis fatigue and the NCAA basketball tournament

Now and then we all need a mental break from the stress of life. In our imperfect world, imperfection rambles on day after day, problem after problem, one crisis following another. Even Jesus said to his disciples, “Come apart and rest a while.” He himself would disappear from time to time and no one knew where he was. Even Jesus needed a break!

This past week our news has been full of Japan’s disaster, Libya’s war, and more arguing about budgets and unions and boycotts. These are all serious matters, but I wonder if we’re not feeling some “crisis fatigue.” I know I am. Sometimes it’s all too much . . . too much pain and suffering, too much anger and hate, too much nonsense.

Now some people deal with crisis fatigue by getting drunk or using drugs or going on a shopping spree or maxing out their credit cards or going to movies or concerts or whatever. Yard work is nice way to get some space and forget the world, too. But it’s too early for yard work. Rats!

This is why I love the silliness of the NCAA basketball tournament. Think about it. Football season is over and baseball hasn’t really started yet. The NBA is a joke and I don’t know anyone personally who takes hockey seriously (doesn’t hockey last through June now?). So I wait for March Madness and hope my Wisconsin Badgers do well in the tournament.

I fill out my brackets and keep my fingers crossed. I don’t watch most of the games, but I keep up on the scores. It’s a nice mental break from crisis fatigue. Reality will be there when it’s all over. Japan will still be a mess, Libya will still be on the brink of self-destruction, the budget still won’t be balanced, and people will still either love or hate Gov. Scott Walker. Republicans and Democrats will still not get along with each other, the rich will still be getting richer and poor poorer, and Charlie Sheen will still be sounding stupid and deranged.

But for now, I’m following the advice of Jesus: “Come apart and rest a while.” For me that means filling out my brackets and watching some good basketball.

So far, so good. I’m 20-12 in my picks—62.5%. That’s better than most politicians and their predictions about the future.